In This Cage (HIATUS: GOING REWRITE)
by AWinx
Summary: Three girls had lived a normal life, but they have a similar dream: Explore the outside world. But their lives change forever when the Colossal Titan breaks Wall Maria. Now, their mission is to help their friends defeat the titans and uncover the untold secrets. OC insert story.
1. To You, 2,000 Years From Now

**Hello, my fellow winxers! Yay, a new fanfic! At first, I didn't want to write it because it would be so much work and that it would consume time, but I decided anyways! So, another Attack on Titan fanfic! This time, it's an OC insert story again, but it is the real Attack on Titan, with the gore, titans, swearing instead of Juinor High. I chose the English Dub script because it was less complicated to do, even though they speak fast in that version. So, I hope you enjoy this OC story. It's gonna be a looooooooong story, but I promise it will all be worth reading at the end!**

* * *

 ** _That day...the human race remembered...we lived in fear of the titans...and we were kept in a humiliated birdcage we called walls._**

The sun rose early morning in Shinganshina, Wall Maria. As soon as the sun was up, people who have the bone to wake up early did it and went outside of their houses to do business that seemed to please them. Hours went by, and eighty percent of the district had already strolled the streets, buying food and walking around as a remedy of boredom. Many people flooded the streets because of the amount of food needed. However, only one girl woke up for a different reason, and she was optimistic enough to brighten her day; Saoirse Hillman.

Saoirse was a different kid though, she loved books and always had a thirst of knowledge from them. Every day, she would go to the library and borrow three or more books to read and comes back one day later with all the books read. Every kid believed that she was being too smart, they think of her as a serious child. Saoirse didn't mind, because she was getting used to being called smarty pants, except for her best friend Mikasa Ackerman, who was her neighbor, just five houses away.

Another thing interesting about her is that she was the daughter of a Survey Corps soldier. Ben, the name of her father, after an expedition, he would share with her the fascinating stories of the outside world and how it looked like. This prompt Saoirse to dream of joining the Survey Corps because she knew that what her father told her would appear in her eyes very soon. She was the only child of her family, as her mother couldn't bear another child. However, the Hillmans managed to adopt Saoirse's four year old cousin, Heather. Her cousin's parents were Survey Corps soldiers as well but they ended up dying during an expedition. Saoirse felt sorry and decided to take her in. She didn't feel lonely anymore, because Heather was like a sister to her.

Saoirse woke up brightly though. She yawned and went up to clean herself. She put on her usual clothing and went downstairs to eat breakfast before she could visit the library again. "Saoirse, did you stay up late reading your books again?" Her mother, Charlotte asked, because the young girl had eye bags and she was so drowsy.

"Yes, mother," the young brunette answered, smiling as if it wasn't a big deal. "I can't stop reading it; its so interesting! Literary works are the ones that I go for, mommy."

Charlotte laughed and rubbed Saoirse's head. "You never stop reading," she teased.

Heather, who sat across from Saoirse, she joined in. "She reads _a lot!_ " she said. "I always see her reading every book during the night."

Saoirse laughed along. "You two seemed to take my hobby as a joke," she teased.

"Of course not, we are just playing along and we completely understand your love for reading," Charlotte complimented. "Who knows? Maybe one day you'll become a teacher, or a skillful strategist in the top ten for the Trainees!"

The word trainees seemed to remind Saoirse of something. "Where's father?" she asked.

Charlotte sighed and rubbed her head. "Well...he's on an expedition, again," she said.

Saoirse frowned slightly. She knew expeditions were supposed to kill titans, but when they come back, eighty percent of their men had never made it back. She didn't worry about her father though, because if he was a skillful soldier, he could live long.

"Will Uncle Ben come back, Aunt Charlotte?" Heather asked, swaying her legs,

Saoirse smiled and rubbed her cousin's forehead. "Of course he will!" she said without any doubts. "He is very strong, and he could take out more than twenty titans!"

Charlotte eventually raised her head and ran to the other side of the counter. "Oh, I almost forgot," she said, grabbing a basket of cookies and handing them to Saoirse. "Can you offer these cookies to Carla Yeager? I'm sure since Mikasa is greatful for having you as her friend, I'm sure she told her mother and she would very much accept these cookies!"

"No problemo, mom!"

The two girls eventually finished their breakfast and they decided to go out. Their mother didn't worry that much, because Saoirse had never been outside of home until the next day, hence she trusted her deeply.

Heather linked arms with Saoirse for protection. "Are we going to the library again, cousin?" she asked, looking up.

Saoirse looked down and smiled. "Of course! We are gonna return these four books to Mr. Nottingham!" she said. Then she raised the basket. "Then we will give this to Mrs. Yeager!"

The two made their way to the library, which was at the corner of the wall that surrounded the town. It seemed like forty minutes reaching, depending on the speed of the two girls whether it was fast or slow. They grew tired along the rode, but they eventually reached the library. It was the oldest library in town, as it's structure looked very old and the walls were all dirty, Perhaps this came from earlier years before the district and wall was made. Saoirse and Heather opened the door and slowly stepped in.

"Hello? Mr. Nottingham?" Saoirse called out.

" _Mr. Nottingham~?_ " Heather imitated, willing to help her cousin.

The girls looked at the right side of the library and eventually found him. He was an old man, not less than eighty, to be exact. He had white hair and a goatee, with glasses as his eyes. He was stacking books onto the shelf when he heard the two girls. He turned to them and smiled. "Oh, Saoirse your back!" he greeted.

"It's always great greeting you, Mr. Nottingham," the girl greeted. "How's your family?"

Mr. Nottingham chuckled. "My wife is doing perfectly fine, and our son had just graduated from the 103rd Trainee Corps. He even ranked number five in the top ten, and he recently sent me a letter saying he joined the Military Police!"

Saoirse beamed. "That is great news, Mr. Nottingham!" she said.

The old man laughed and rubbed Heather's head. "And you brought your little sister here again," he said. "Hello there."

Heather waved hyper actively. "Hello!" she replied.

Saoirse shrugged. "Actually Mr, she's my cousin," she corrected. "People keep mistaking her for being my younger sister."

Mr. Nottingham winced. "Oops, I thought you were her sister, little champ," he apologized.

Saoirse waved her hands. "That's okay, Mr. Nottingham, I'm used to it," she assured. "Even my best friend Mikasa mistakes her for being my sister."

Mr. Nottingham laughed. "People have minor mistakes, and when time comes, they will soon learn to do the exact opposite of it," he said.

Saoirse nodded. "True that," she said.

Mr. Nottingham got buried into the topic, he almost forgot why they were here. He clapped his hands. "Are you here to return the books you borrowed yesterday?" he asked.

Saoirse smiled and handed the four books. "Actually, yes!" she said, and Mr. Nottingham grabbed it gently and placed it back on the shelf.

"You finished all of them already? In one day?" he asked.

Saoirse giggled. "Actually, I completed all of them in _one day_ in _one hour!_ " she said.

Mr. Nottingham looked like as if his son was assigned as the king. "Well i'll be a father of a cow, I am impressed!" he complimented.

"I couldn't put it down," Saoirse said. "Anything new?"

"Not since a few weeks ago," Mr. Nottingham reported. "I'm terribly sorry."

Saoirse smiled. "That's alright." she assured, walking to a bookshelf and grabbing a green book and showing it to the man. "I'll borrow...this one."

Mr. Nottingham looked at it and gave a ten times stunned look than the usual one. " _The Hyacinth Willows?_ But you read it _four times_ in a row, my darling!" he exclaimed.

Saoirse twirled around. "I just love that book, so much!" she said. "The love story, the morals, everything!"

Mr. Nottingham smiled. He knew this was the time to do his motive. He placed the book neatly on Saoirse's hands. "If you love it that much, it's already yours," he said.

Saoirse blinked. "Really?" she gasped. "But sir, aren't you gonna regret letting me having this book? I'm sure you'll feel guilty letting me borrow a library book, it's too much!"

"Yeah, like she said!" Heather agreed.

Mr. Nottingham kept his happy look and gripped Saoirse's hands tightly. "I insist, dear," he said.

Saoirse stopped her protesting and hugged the book. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you Mr. Nottingham!" she cheered. "I'll never forget it."

Mr. Nottingham nodded. "Anything for my favorite child reader," he said.

The two girls said goodbye and headed towards the Yeager house to deliver the cookies. It took them forty minutes again to get back to their neighborhood, but this time. they made it fast so they wouldn't be late. They reached the Yeager estate and knocked on their door. "Come in," a woman's voice called out.

The girls opened the door and peeked inside to see Mr. and Mrs. Yeager inside. Mr. Yeager was a middle aged man, having long hair, glasses and a beard. He was a doctor, since he was working on his serum. His wife, Carla Yeager, she was stunningly beautiful. She had brown eyes and silky long black hair that was tied in a half ponytail.

"Mrs. Yeager?" Saoirse called out.

The mother looked at who called her and beamed upon the sight. "Saoirse, what a surprise!" she said, running over to her.

Mr. Yeager looked up and spotted them as well. "Hello girls." was all he could say.

"What brings you and your sister here?" Carla asked.

Saoirse blushed. "Actually, it's my cousin, but that's alright," she said. "Is Mikasa here?"

"No, she went to pick some logs with her brother," she said. "Is that why your here?"

"No, I was just asking," Saoirse said, showing her the basket. "My mom told me to give this to you."

Carla held the basket and smiled brightly. "Why, thank you Saoirse!" she thanked. "You are such a sweet girl, like Mikasa said. And I thank your mother too as well."

Saoirse smiled shyly. "Your welcome, if there's anything else you need from me and my family," she said. "We better leave now, bye!"

Carla waved at the two girls. "Thank you for stopping bye! I'll tell Mikasa you said hello!"

Saoirse and Heather decided it was time to go home and relax. They were almost close to their house when they heard the bell ring. They realized that the bell ringing signalized that the Survey Corps was back from their expedition. "Father's back!" Saoirse exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Heather cheered.

They ran to the center of town which was the line up of the townspeople to make way for the Survey Corps to pass. They eventually struggled trying to see the sight, but they were too small. They saw a nearby stack of boxes and the figured out that it was enough for them to see. They stood on it and saw the sight before them, and gasped.

Twenty percent out of a hundred men came back from the battle. Many soldiers were injured, and their body parts have been chopped off, leaving them to never use it again. The soldiers who looked unharmed and had titan blood on their capes looked bewildered and stoic. It was assumed that they lost many good men in the battle. Saoirse eventually grew worried and scanned the soldiers to see her father. She found him, who was perfectly fine and he was bewildered as well.

"Oh no," Heather muttered. She hugged Saoirse tightly. "Is Uncle Ben okay?"

Saoirse held her cousin's hands tightly. "Yes, he's fine," she assured.

Many townspeople were anxious and began chattering to themselves about how the Survey Corps did this time. The regiment was known for killing titans but the biggest disadvantage is the cost of many lives. Saoirse and Heather didn't want to believe that many people died in battle, but it was true.

"Moses? Moses?" A young woman called out for her son in the crowd. She ran in between the crowd and the Survey Corps. The soldiers stopped. "Thank you. Where is my son? He should be with you all."

She placed her arms on the sides of a soldier in front of her. "Oh please tell me he made it!" she pleaded.

The two soldiers looked at her. "I wish I had better news," he answered. He turned to a soldier who's right eye was injured and covered by a bandage. "Give it to her."

The soldier nodded and reached into the cart where the thing was. He handed over to the woman who looked anxious and scared. She had a feeling something's wrong. She looked at it and it was bloody, covered in cloth. She glanced at the soldier, who stared at her. She quickly unwrapped it and gasped upon seeing the item that was given was..an arm. She quickly covered it upon realizing it had dawned on her. Her son was dead, and the only thing left of him was his arm. She began sobbing loudly in front of the soldier.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "It's all that was left of him."

These words made the woman ten times worse and she knelt to the ground, clutching her son''s arm. Saoirse and Heather watched sadly as the woman mourned over her lost son. They wanted to do something, but there was nothing to reverse a soldier's death.

"How could this have happened?" Heather asked her cousin.

Saoirse looked at her sadly. "I don't know," was all she could say.

The soldier kneeled in front of the woman. "He..he did good...he is...he was brave..." she choked.

"Tell me my son stood ground to the bitter end," she continued, and raised her head. "That means something! Tell me his _sacrifice_ gave us a better chance!"

Everyone was silent, because they didn't have the energy to comfort the woman. Kids also cried upon seeing another massacre among them. A gust of wind blew. The man looked at her with determination. "He was brave!" he replied. He realized what he has said and it made him worse. He looked away. "But...his sacrifice meant _nothing_...so with all the losses...it's ever the same.." The soldiers looked down in shame.

He closed his eyes and started to tear up as well. "The day was _lost!_ We have _nothing!_ " he shouted.

The woman looked pale and scared, because these words had a point. "Your son..it's all because of _me!_ " he blamed himself.

The townspeople looked scared and anxious hearing these words. "I sent him to his death! I sent _all of them_ to their deaths!" he yelled. "And there's nothing to show for it! All of it adds up to _nothing!_ "

Saoirse grabbed Heather's hands. She couldn't take it anymore. "Let's get out of here," she instructed.

Heather nodded and the two went out of the scenery before they shed tears. They didn't talk because they felt horrible for the mother and the Survey Corps. Now people would see them as a regiment where the decide the fate of their loved ones. Only Saoirse and Heather retained the positive traits of what they think of the Survey Corps, even after what they had seen.

Heather broke the silence. "Saoirse...are you still gonna join?" she asked.

Saoirse remained silent for a moment, thinking about it. "I'm gonna," she said without looking into her eyes. "I promised to stay faithful and loyal to the Survey Corps no matter how many deaths they caused. I'm willing to fight for what we love."

"But is your friend Mikasa determined as well?" the little girl asked.

Saoirse bit her lip and didn't respond. She knew Mikasa wouldn't because she knew that she escaped death, but her friend wouldn't want to die outside the walls.

"Girls!" A man's voice called out to them. They turned to see Saoirse's father run towards them with his green cloak still on him. He looked unharmed but had blood on his cloak.

"Daddy!" Saoirse greeted and hugged him.

"Uncle Ben!" Heather greeted as well and hugged him also.

Ben was a middle aged man who had dark brown hair and he looked handsome. He ruffled both of the girls' hair. "Did you miss me?" he asked.

"Of course!" the girls answered in unison.

Saoirse decided to tell it. "We...we saw what happened," she muttered. "Poor lady. She lost her son in vain. I don't think she deserves it."

Heather nodded. "I almost cried but Saoirse dragged me out of it," she said.

Ben sighed and looked at the two girls sadly. "Many lives in the expedition were lost and we couldn't save them because we didn't have the strength to look at them a second before their death," he sadly said. "I'm sorry if you girls think I'm just a soldier whose fight isn't worth humanity."

Saoirse and Heather shook their heads. "No! We don't think of that, we still stay faithful," Saoirse said. "But you and mother are not gonna keeps us from joining, are you?" she asked.

Ben shook his head. "Of course not!" he answered. "You are very lucky, because both of us want our daughter to be a strong and passion soldier who fights for what everyone deserves out of the greater good. And Heather as well too."

Saoirse and Heather smiled. They were lucky to have them. They hugged Ben and he hugged them back. He lit up. "Hey girls, what do you say that I take you to a tour around the Survey Corps?" he asked. "I'm sure Commander Erwin would love to hear your words of self determination."

Saoirse and Heather squealed. They jumped around their father in excitement. They couldn't hold their hyperactivity. " _We're gonna see the Survey Corps! We're gonna see the Survey Corps!_ " they both cheered.

Ben chuckled. He loved seeing his daughter and niece being all happy and cheerful. "I'll bring you girls later this afternoon," he said. "I've got a meeting with soldiers from the Garrison now."

Saoirse and Heather looked at him. "Are you gonna come back?" they asked.

"Of course," he answered. He kissed the two girls and headed off. "I promise that I'll take you, and that will stay the way I like it!"

Saoirse and Heather waved at him. "Let's go home, I'm tired," Heather said.

"Same," Saoirse said.

The two continued their way towards their neighborhood and into their home. They kept chatting and chatting about how they were gonna see the Survey Corps HQ and their soldiers, because they were filled with determination as well. Charlotte would be delighted to hear it, too.

"Saoirse, since the book you love is interesting as you said, can you read it to me?" Heather asked out of curiosity.

Saoirse smiled. "Of course!" she answered. "Anything for my cousin!"

Just then, they spotted a girl with black hair and a red scarf run past them. Saoirse recognized who it was. "Mikasa!" she called out.

"That's her?" Heather asked.

Mikasa turned to see her friend and her cousin as well. "Sorry Saoirse, I got to do something, I'll chat with you later," she said, and ran away.

Saoirse understood it perfectly. She shrugged it off and the two headed back to their home. "We're home!" the girls cried in unison.

Charlotte was busy stacking logs. "Welcome back, girls!" she greeted. "Did you see your father? I heard the bells ring."

"Yep! And he said that he'll take us to the Survey Corps!" Heather announced.

Charlotte lit up. " _Really?_ That's wonderful news, girls!" she said. "This afternoon?"

"Yup, and he's gonna introduce us to Commander Erwin Smith!" Saoirse continued. "Isn't it amazing!"

"Why yes it is," Charlotte replied and hugged them. "You deserve to fight for the greater good of the world girls, no matter how risky it is."

Saoirse and Heather looked at each other and smiled up to the woman. It filled them with more determination.

* * *

"So he risked his duties to save the one he loves?" Heather asked, who was reading with Saoirse in her bedroom.

Saoirse nodded excitedly. "Yes, and his parents let him do it because they wanted him to have someone to make him happy," she explained.

She raised the book and showed it to Heather. "So, Navarro ran miles and miles to get to the place of where Genevieve was held captive, he ran far for that! Can you believe it?" Saoirse said.

"Yeah!" Heather replied. Then she looked at Saoirse. "Will you do that for someone you love?"

Saoirse blushed and looked away. "B-But I haven't found anyone to love yet," she replied.

Heather leaned closer to her. "But will you ever find a boy?" she asked. "I want to see you risk your life for the boy you love."

Saoirse thought about it for a moment. She and her cousin were too young to understand romantic love. Since she read lots of romantic love story books, she studied the meaning of it and tried to give her best answer. "I promise that I'll find someone to love, and I will fullfill it Heather, it's part of life."

"When?"

Saoirse ruffled her cousin's hair. "Someday, when the time comes, and when it wants to be," she said.

Suddenly, a large crash was heard and it was powerful enough to shake the bedroom and the house. Saoirse held Heather tightly in order to not let her get hurt or injured. The shaking lasted for a minute before it resided. But as a result of the small shake, many debris and wood were removed from the upper ceiling. Books were scattered everywhere and her mirror was shattered.

"What was that? An earthquake?" Saoirse panicked. She adjusted her cousin on the bed. "You stay here. I'll check outside."

Heather nodded, obeying her cousin. The brunette ran downstairs and into the outside where many people were laying on the ground, shocked by the sudden earthquake. She looked around and decided to go into the center of town, believing the cause may lay there. She ran at full speed, as if she was charged with adrenaline. She looked up at the wall to see smoke outside. She stared at it, until the next unthinkable happened; a red hand was placed on the wall, crumbling it.

" _It can't be..!_ " Saoirse exclaimed. "The wall isn't supposed to be that tall for that hand to stick out!"

A red head raised up and he looked at the town below. It was the most frightening sight they had seen since hundreds of years ago. "No... _a titan!_ " Saoirse cried out.

The townspeople stared at it in fright for a few moments before they knew the entrance gate of the wall was kicked. The kick was hard to send boulders and rocks flying in the air, crushing houses and people. It also caused a very violent wind enough to blow every person and house apart. When it has stopped, the townspeople looked up to see a very large hole in the entrance, large enough for titans to come in, even fifteen meter tall ones. The wall has been breached.

A fifteen meter titan walked in, and stared at the people. The townsfolk screamed and tried to run away, as it had dawned to them that history is repeating. Everyone either rushed to their homes to cower in fear or they had to run to safety. Saoirse turned around and ran back to her house at full speed, before her family could get hurt. While running, she saw many people sobbing over the ones who were crushed by the boulders. The more she saw, the more she got scared. She was frightened, anxious, worried and scared all at the same time. She looked to see she was near her house. Will she see her family again? Will she and her family live? Did they survive from the flying boulders?

 _My house! There's no doubt that it got hit by the boulders!_ Her mind raced, as she was getting closer and closer. _Maybe_ _Heather and mother are still alive! It's possible they took refuge in the cellar!_ She turned around the corner which she would see her house. She looked at her house. The house was split into half, like a cake. Many of wood and debris laid on the ground, and their rooms were exposed.

Saoirse looked at the cellar door and ran to it. The cellar's knob was open. They were alive. She burst it open and saw her mother and Heather hugging each other for protection. It was assumed that when the boulders were thrown, they quickly entered the cellar as to not get hurt. They looked up.

" _Mom! Heather!_ " Saoirse cried out, and ran to them.

" _Saoirse!_ " Heather said.

Charlotte hugged her daughter. "I'm so glad your alright," she mumbled.

"Same goes for me," Saoirse replied. And she looked at both of them. "A sixty meter titan broke the wall! And now the titans are coming in and consuming the town! We have to get to safety, now!"

The mother turned pale. " _Titans?_ " she asked breathlessly. "But that's impossible! The maximum size of a titan is bigger than all of us and there was no way it went past the maximum size to break the wall!"

"I'm scared, Saoirse," Heather mumbled, and she hugged her cousin.

Saoirse hugged her tightly. "Don't worry, Heather," she assured. "I will get you two to safety."

They heard stomping and they turned to see dozens of titans far away from them. They were searching for food. The girls gasped at the sight and then grabbed their mother. "We have to go!" Saoirse instructed.

"Right!" Charlotte replied.

The three rushed out of the cellar and back into the streets. They began running as fast as they could to avoid letting titans catching or seeing them, as their main predator was mainly humans. They didn't look back either, afraid that a titan would be behind them and pluck them easily. Soon they were far away from their neighborhood and was on the other side of the town.

"There should be a boat which will sail for safety!" Charlotte explained. "It's in the east side of the district!"

The three turned east and were still running for their lives when a seven meter titan popped out of nowhere between the houses like a jack in a box. The three backed up and froze in fear, realizing the situation. _They were about to get eaten._ Suddenly, they heard Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear shifts and turned to see Ben running towards the titan.

"Ben!" Charlotte called out.

"Father!" Saoirse cried out as well.

"Uncle Ben!" Heather said.

"Don't worry, I'll save you all!" Ben assured. He reached into his gear and pulled out the steel sword used to cut the titans. "I'll distract the titan! You three will get to safety!"

Charlotte raised her head towards her husband. "But what about you?!" she was in a state of panic.

Ben turned to his family with such bravery and determination in his eyes. "I'll be fine, now _go._ "

Charlotte hesitated for a moment. The seven meter titan was getting closer to the man. She picked up Heather and grabbed Saoirse's hands and ran away for them to get to safety.

"Wait! Mother, we can't leave daddy!" Saoirse pleaded, trying to break the link between their arms. "We have to save him!"

"Your father needs us to go to safety, so we will obey him! He'll be fine!" Charlotte said.

Saoirse looked back while running to see her father about to leap towards the titan with his gear, but the titan eventually grabbed him, leaving him unable to use his sword to kill it. Saoirse realized she was far away from her father already. She let go of her mother's hand and ran back to the scenery.

"Saoirse! _Come back!_ " her mother shouted.

But she didn't listen. She was busy running to save her father. But she stopped midway when the titan raised its grasp towards the mouth. Then, in a split second, it threw Ben into the mouth, killing him and devouring him.

" _NO!_ " Saoirse screamed. " _NOOOOOOOO!_ "

She felt tears sting her eyes and it poured down fastly like an uncontrollable water pipe. She continued running to the titan. " _Father! Father! Give him back! Give him back you monster!_ " she screamed.

Saoirse was close to realize that her mother grabbed her by the collar and placed her on her shoulder. She looked at her father's maneuver gear, which remained as a reminiscence of him. She began sobbing internally and raised her arm towards the titan.

" _Father...please...don't leave me..._ " she choked up, and covered her mouth to silence her sobbing.

Heather began crying too, as another member of her family is killed aside from her parents. Pretty soon, Charlotte began to tear up, not wanting to believe her husband is gone, but it was too late. Everyone is being devoured again, and chaos filled the town quickly like smoke. History is repeating itself. The _titans_ are inside the walls after centuries, and there was nothing a person could do to stop it.

* * *

 **I NEEED REVIEWERS AND** **FAVORITESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS *sees status* Oh. Ehem. Anyways, I hope I didn't break your heart reading this chapter. It's hard to write a fanfic where you make everyone cry, because you don't know what to say or what to write. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter and meeting my OC, Saoirse Hillman. Two other OCs will be later introduced in the upcoming chapters. I'll be continuing this story since it's summer vacation and I have a lot of time to write! Arrivederci, my fellow readers, Awinx out!**


	2. That Day

**Yay! Finally, it's done. My computer restarted, but now it's fixed. Woah! Wrote this all in one day, fastest record of writing. Anyways, enjoy! And give a fav, follow or review!**

* * *

Wall Maria has been breached. It all began with a titan which was large enough to kick the wall open and now the humanoid giants were finally inside after a hundred years. A priest was busy preaching, believing that the latter would save them from the titans, not minding the running and screaming people past him, as if he was walking alone. He continued doing it until he reached a bridge. A large shadow loomed over him and looked up to see a titan above him. It picked him up, which made the priest preach faster until it gobbled him up, leaving his book behind. Many titans ate the citizens of Shinganshina, since they were everywhere, making it nearly impossible to escape from them.

A woman was running away and she found a corner with an opening above. She hid there, knowing this is her best chance of survival. But a shadow loomed over her and she looked up to see a titan. It had found her. It picked her up, leaving her to scream and beg the titan to let her go. But the titan didn't listen, and just gobbled her up anyway.

Meanwhile, in the amidst of the chaos, Charlotte was running as fast as she could with her daughter and niece on her back, but the weight of the children was reducing the speed. Charlotte stopped for a moment, and began running again, feet pushing her to run away as fast as she could, because she knew it would only be a matter of time before a titan finds the three of them and get eaten. She was sweating heavily, and panting. She could hear the children sobbing intensely over her husband Ben, who had suffered the same fate as the other people. The mother didn't want to look at them, because the grave looks would break her.

She continued to pick up the pace until she saw a nearby empty house. She knew breaking in without permission would be rude, but she had no choice at a time like this. She ran to it and looked at the window, no one was there. She opened the door with one hand and entered it. She walked slowly for a bit and dropped the kids and sitting down, giving her time to rest. Saoirse and Heather were busy sobbing over their lost father and uncle, the surroundings and Charlotte becoming delirious to them. "Papa...no... _noo_...," Saoirse choked.

"Uncle Ben..." Heather sobbed as well. Charlotte looked at the two girls, and seeing them break down began to sting her heart. She felt tears sting her eyes and run down uncontrollably like a waterfall. She didn't even deny the fact her husband was gone, because it already happened.

Saoirse suddenly turned her head sharply to her mother, with a more aggressive mood. "Why didn't you save father, why?!" she shouted, overwhelmed. "You could have grabbed him away and we could run away together!"

Charlotte didn't answer. She continued staring at her daughter, without any answer to give. Heather looked at Saoirse as well. "Why mother? _Why?!_ " Saoirse raised her voice higher.

Charlotte couldn't take it anymore. " _Stop!_ " she yelled, pushing Saoirse aggressively to the ground. The young girl looked at her mother, not wanting to believe that her own parent would do something violent to her. Charlotte paused and looked at her, regretting on what she has done, even though she was overwhelmed as well. She kneeled down and sobbed in front of the two girls. "I couldn't because..!" she sobbed, but the lump in her throat interrupted her.

"Why...?" Saoirse continued.

The reluctant mother closed her eyes, not minding the amount of tears running down her face. "I couldn't because...because...," she tried to say it. "... _I wasn't brave_ _enough_."

Saoirse shook her head. "Why weren't you brave enough?!" she snapped. "You could have gathered the audacity to be brave and save father!"

"No one is brave enough to stand up to those things," she continued. "And you...you couldn't save him because you _weren't strong enough._ "

Saoirse didn't want to believe it was true, but her mother was telling the truth. She didn't even hit or kill the titan, because she was just a kid, including Heather. "I did it...because it's what your father wanted," she said. "Your father couldn't protect his comrades from outside...he died saving us because he knew that he would finally protect the ones he have loved, because he failed to do so in the past!"

Saoirse stared at her mother. She was right after all, because no matter how many times Ben tried to protect his comrades, they ended up dying, including Moses. But he knew that protecting his family would make up for the loss of many lives and failed attempts. Upon the process of these words, Saoirse sobbed harder, in which Charlotte hugged Saoirse tightly, with Heather joining as well. Together they sobbed over the loss of their family member, who had finally accomplished his goal before he lost his lives.

* * *

Later, the three remaining family members recovered and they decided safety was the majority of their matter now. They walked until they reached the boat which will take them to the inner wall for safety. The first boat was already filled up, but they were lucky enough to be the earliest ones on the second boat. As soon as they reached the boat, they sat there, looking bewildered and delirious. Heather was sleeping in Charlotte's lap while Saoirse was busy dazing off into space. Although they recovered from crying, she couldn't get over the fact that her father and best friend was gone forever. She suddenly remembered something and quickly stood up, trying to find her best friend Mikasa. She scanned the crowd outside of the boat and continued to do so until she spotted her. Saoirse was about to shout to her when she noticed she was silent and looking bewildered. She saw her brother, who was looking shocked as well. This reminded her of Ben's death and went back into her spot.

Many people boarded the boats, because they didn't want to be stuck in this hellish place what used to be called home. Soon, a hundred or more people filled up the second boat. The Garrisons were in charge of keeping the citizens to safety. Suddenly, two soldiers raised the bridge up, unabling the citizens to board the boat anymore. There wasn't enough space anymore. The citizens tried their best to get through the soldiers, but it was useless. They were pleading and begging them to let them on the boat, in hopes of survival.

"Look! There's nothing we can do!" A soldier said to the crowd, and faced the boat. "Push off now!"

The boat slowly pushed off, about to leave. This made the citizens panic. Some managed to get past the soldiers and jump on the ledges of the boat. Some missed and ended up falling into the gap that separates the land and the boat. Saoirse watched sadly as the citizens were begging whilst tears in their eyes, determined to stay alive.

Suddenly, they heard loud stomping, which slowly morphed into what sounds like running. They didn't want to believe that a titan was running, but it sure sounded like it. The running grew louder and louder until they saw a fifteen meter titan in the gap between houses, which was covered in armor. The soldiers tried to shoot it, but the armor was strong enough to defend itself, making it impossible for it to be dead. The soldiers retreated in fear and tried to run away into the inner gate. Some people got crushed by the foot and the titan continued running until he raised his shoulder and with a single hit, he smashed the gate of the inner wall open, allowing the titans to descend into more fields.

The citizens in the boat watched in horror. Saoirse watched as the Armored Titan skidded across his feet from the blow, and he stopped. The citizens grew more scared and they began to pray, hoping God would protect them. Some would even mumble that this isn't happening, and some would grow sick and sob intensely.

As the boat descended deeper, the view of Shinganshina grew smaller and smaller until it was never seen again by the citizens. As they were outside of Shinganshina already, they could see smoke coming out from the wall, and hear more screams from inside.

Saoirse waved weakly to her hometown, never to be seen again. Tears began to sting her eyes again as she couldn't take anymore deaths and suffering.

* * *

Meanwhile, hours after Shinganshina fell, the news spread quickly like wildfire into the inner districts, leaving terror and depression. It also happened to reach the monarchs inside the inner district of Wall Rose.

"What do you think we're meant to make of these reports of Shinganshina falling to the titans?" A fellow monarch asked his friends and assistants.

"Are they verified?" one answered. "That they are crapping us hell for a century, it makes no sense!"

The other turned to him, who was standing in front of the window. "Wether or not they're verified, the refugees are certainly flooding in like plague rats," he bluntly said. "They're been at least five hundred accounted for on the boats."

The other one beside him piped up. "The question is, how prepared are we if Shinganshina is in ruins?" he said.

A man with a mustache turned to him. "Come now, surely Wall Maria is off on its own to hold the titans at bait, don't you think?" he said.

They all stayed silent at these words. They weren't ready to believe Shinganshina has been overruled by titans. Another man slumped on the table. "Damn it all, anyway its wise, the situation is untenable," he said. "Our hands are tied."

"I say we make appeals to the central government for help," he suggested.

Suddenly, footsteps ran outside and the door burst open to reveal a Garrison soldier. "Excuse me my lords!" he said, looking panicked. "You really want to hear this. Wall Maria has been _broken through!_ The titans are-! _Are in!_ "

The lords gasped in horror as the sound of these grave news reached their ears and processed it.

* * *

Hundreds of titans had already poured inside the interior of Wall Maria, with surviving soldiers watching in horror. The boat wasn't there to see it, because they were already outside. Others were panicking and praying. "That's it, we're dead," a man mumbled. "We're standing up at the gate of hell."

Saoirse cringed hearing this. Images of death appeared behind her eyes, which made tears flow down again on her face. _This...this is reality. There's no denying it...its all_ _gone...all gone...our house...our town...father...everything is taken away..._ she continued to sob in her head. _I never even said to father that I loved him! Why is this happening to us? Is it because we were ignorant of what's happening outside? Is it because we are weak?_

Heather woke up as well and she clutched onto her cousin's hand. "Saoirse...are we all going to die?" she asked.

She looked down at her cousin, in which she gripped it tightly. "No...we are not going to die..," Saoirse answered, and looked at the view outside the boat. "Because... _I'm gonna do it!_ "

Heather blinked. "What?"

Saoirse's breathing became intense. "I'll protect you and mother...because I'm going to slaughter them all!" she declared. "I'm going to kill every titan that's on this earth...for Shinganshina...for father... _for everything!_ "

* * *

The boat eventually reached Wall Rose, in the inner district, Trost. Nearly ten thousand people were lost to the titans. The Garrisons were in charge of helping the remaining citizens with food and care. Cots were placed in the warehouse for people to sleep in. As of now, food was the problem, because the amount wasn't enough for nearly nine hundred people. Some broke their food in half and shared it with the others. Many children lost their parents, and many people lost the ones they love. The bells were chiming. Saoirse and Heather fell asleep while they were on the boat, so Charlotte carried them and placed them on the cots. The sound of the bells eventually woke them up.

"What...where...?" Saoirse asked herself, upon seeing the different features of the place. She stood up and rubbed her eyes. She went over to Heather and shook her.

"Heather...wake up," she whispered. "We're here."

The young girl slowly opened her eyes and she stood up as well. Both of them were drowsy. Saoirse linked arms with her cousin and dragged her to the outside, which was filled with thousands of refugees.

"You okay?" Saoirse asked Heather.

She looked up to her cousin. "Yes, I'm fine," she answered.

"Good." Saoirse said. She was really protective of her cousin, willing to not let her suffer the same fate as her parents.

They eventually scanned the crowd until Charlotte appeared running to them with two loaves of bread in her hands. She was surprised to see them awake. "Oh, I see you two are awake," she said.

"It wasn't a big of a deal," Saoirse muttered.

"Aunty Charlotte...why aren't we in the boat anymore?" Heather asked.

The mother sighed and looked around. "Girls...we have reached Trost, one of the districts of the interior," she said. She raised the two loaves and showed it to them. "I was able to make due with these. You two must be very hungry."

"Actually, I am hungry for bread right now," Saoirse said, taking one bread from her mother.

Heather grabbed the other as well. Saoirse noticed something. "Mother, aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

Charlotte rubbed her forehead. "Oh no, it's fine," she said. "I'm not that hungry anymore."

Saoirse ripped her piece in half and handed the other piece to her mother.

"You should eat mother," Saoirse said. "After what we've been through, our stomachs must stay strong."

Charlotte waved her hands. "No no, I'm fine," she denied.

Saoirse shoved it closer to her. "I insist." she demanded.

Charlotte hesitated for a moment. She looked at the bread and she grabbed it from her daughter's hand. "Actually, I am really hungry right now," she admitted. "You care so much about us Saoirse."

"I want to protect you two for father," Saoirse replied. "I will not lose you guys."

Charlotte rubbed her daughter's head. "You must have taken a trait from father or something," she teased.

"Yeah! She is father now!" Heather said.

Saoirse chuckled. "The only difference is that I'm not a man," she said.

The three were about to eat when Saoirse spotted Mikasa with her brother and another boy. She turned to her mother.

"Mommy, can I go over to Mikasa?" she asked, pointing to the direction. "She's right over there."

Charlotte looked to where she was pointing. "Go ahead," she sighed.

Saoirse ran from her family to Mikasa and the two boys. She was running so fast, as if she had adrenaline because she was dreading to see Mikasa again after the fall. She eventually reached them. " _Mikasa!_ "

The Asian girl stopped what she was doing and turned to see her best friend in front of them. Her eyes lit up, relieved that her friend was safe.

"Saoirse," Mikasa muttered.

The brunette smiled and hugged her friend. "I'm so glad your alright," she said.

Mikasa wasn't sure to hug her back, but she did anyway. "Same goes for me," she replied.

The two let go of each other. Mikasa's brother and friend watched the whole thing. "Who is she?" the other boy said. He had blonde hair that reached to his chin and blue eyes, while Mikasa's brother was tan skinned and he had brown hair, the same color as Saoirse's hair, and dazzling eyes which were confused to be teal. He was cute.

Mikasa placed her arm on Saoirse's back. "Guys, I want you two to be nice to her," she said. "This is my best friend, Saoirse."

The blonde boy smiled and handed out his hand for her to shake. "Hi Saoirse," he greeted. "I'm Armin. Very nice to meet you."

Saoirse smiled and shook his hand. As she was done, she faced the brunette. "Is he your brother, Mikasa?" she asked.

"Yes, and his name is Eren," Mikasa said.

Saoirse smiled and waved. "Hello Eren, nice to meet you!" she greeted. _He is really cute though._

Eren smiled shyly and shook her hand. "So, your the girl Mikasa talks about alot," he said.

Saoirse's eyes lit up and turned to her friend. "She talks about me all the time?" she asked.

Eren shrugged. "To the point I'm interested in meeting you," she said.

Saoirse blushed in embarrassment. "That's-That's nice," she said.

Armin leaned over to the two of them. "Not to let out the fact you two have the same hair color though," he said.

Saoirse and Eren gasped. "Really?"

Armin laughed and Mikasa just smirked slightly. Saoirse was really happy to meet two other friends aside from Mikasa. But the moment she met Eren, she felt butterflies in her stomach the moment she saw his face. She couldn't stop thinking about his eyes, she swore she could look into it forever.

The blonde interrupted her daydreaming. "Are you hungry?" Armin asked, showing her three loaves of bread in his arms.

Saoirse nodded. "Yes," she replied.

Armin grabbed a loaf. "Sorry if its only three," he said. "I'll half it."

"Oh no, I have my own right here," Saoirse assured, showing her half. "But thanks for the offer anyway."

She turned to face Eren when she saw his eyes widen. She saw what he was looking at. A Garrison soldier was standing behind Armin, who was glaring at the kids and walked away when the teal eyed boy had spotted him.

"What's his deal?" Eren said.

Armin looked at his friend. "Just ignore it," he said. "There's a shortage. Poor man's probably hungry."

"No wonder many people are arguing for it," Saoirse said.

"By the way I'll make that last," he continued. "They were already dealing with them and before we got here so it's an ugly situation. That and this far end there is supreme despair between the halves of the food."

They spotted four men arguing over the bread, while two Garrison soldiers were watching. "Nothing more gratifying than seeing rations go to animals," the same one that stared at the kids piped up.

Eren narrowed his eyes at this, while Mikasa watched and Saoirse bit her lip. "Jess, we've got to beat up the herd though," he said. "Eat up. The titans like a little meat on their bones."

Saoirse glared at the soldier. That was so rude and insulting! She snapped mentally. How dare he?!

She saw Eren growl and head towards the soldier with pure anger on his look. "Eren, wait!" Armin tried to stop him.

Saoirse turned to Mikasa. "What is he gonna do?" she asked.

Mikasa turned to her. "Trust me, you'll find out when it happens," she replied.

The three continued to watch Eren walk towards him as the soldier kept rambling about the titans and food. His eyes were closed, he didn't see the boy in front of him and kick his leg, which he yelped in pain.

" _Damn it!_ " he cursed. "You pick the wrong man, asshole!"

He punched Eren in the face. "Eren!" Saoirse yelled.

The other soldier joined in and kicked Eren in the stomach, making him fall to the ground.

Eren faced them. "You spineless cowards!" he insulted. "All of you! You don't- you don't know what it's like!"

"You've seen one! You've seen what they can do?!" he yelled, loud enough for the people nearby to hear the heated argument.

The soldier narrowed his eyes at him. "You little piece of-" he was about to kick him again when Armin went in front to stop it.

"He's sorry! He didn't mean it," he apologized. "He's just hungry. We all get that ways because our minds go out of turn sometimes. Forgive him, I beg you." he bowed.

Mikasa and Saoirse approached Eren and they helped him up. The soldier stared at him for a moment.

"Yeah well- Keep it in mind he's given a fair share so you can eat," he turned away. "In case you haven't noticed, we're all hungry. Tell your buddy a little gratitude goes a long way."

Armin plastered a fake smile. "Sure!" he replied.

Eren looked down. "Bastard," he grumbled. "I'm not about to show gratitude to a coward."

Saoirse lowered her eyes. The first time she met him, this is the first time she sees him like this. The quatret walked to the corridor with columns that served as open windows, with Eren sitting on it.

"I can't do this, I'm going back to Wall Maria," Eren growled. "The titans have to pay for what they've done to us.

Armin softened a little in order to not let the situation come out of hand. "Hey now," he assured. "Your not serious. That's your stomach talking."

Eren grew angrier at these protests, which made Saoirse jump. "No it's not!" he cried out.

Saoirse raised her arms. "Now Eren, please calm down for a minute-" she tried.

Eren interrupted her. "Wake up! The guys standing between us and them are just a bunch of talk!" he rambled. He looked at his bread. "And hell with all of them, here!"

He shoved his bread violently to Armin, ungrateful. It bumped into him in which he had to catch it. Saoirse had never seen Eren like this. "Go back!" he shouted.

"Yeah?" Armin asked. "What are you trying to do, _starve?_ "

Eren walked to him. "When are you going to get sick of their charity?!" he snapped. "Too much is handed to us! We have to stand in our own two feet!"

"To do what?!" Armin said. "Get killed by a titan?! I know I used to think our future was beyond the walls, but it's like you told that man! I've never seen what they could do to us!"

Saoirse realized this is gonna get ugly. "You guys, _stop it!_ " she pleaded, even though she was new to the trio.

Eren didn't listen. "So _that's it?!_ This is just the way life _is?!_ _Run away_ and take what we're given?!" he shouted.

"Look at us!" Armin yelled. "What choice do we have here?!"

This was getting heated. " _You can damn well leave!_ " he screamed. "If you wanna scrape up in the charity of cowards, that's your thing! But I'm not a parasite!"

Armin's eyes widened upon these words, hurt. Mikasa raised her arm and succesfully punched Eren with one hit, hitting the ground. Saoirse winced.

"Mikasa..." Armin sighed.

"You..." Saoirse was speechless, and she looked at the brunette. "Eren...is he usually like this?"

Armin nodded. "When things don't go well as it seems," he replied. "Just try to understand him."

Saoirse didn't want to judge him, because she discovered the loophole in his words. He wants to kill the titans, just like her primary goal. Perhaps Saoirse has finally found her Navarro from her favorite book.

They all stayed silent for a moment. "Have you look in the mirror lately?" Mikasa said. " _All of us are parasites._ "

"We couldn't run from certain death without help. Tell me differently," she continued. "Don't take your shorts coming out on him."

Saoirse was amazed by her best friend's words, and this wasn't the first time she saw her punch someone. She wanted to say something, but she decided to stay silent.

"For God's sake, we can't even find food on our own," the black haired girl continued. "We're _parasites._ "

Eren watched as she continued saying these words. "We're cowards, titans are on top of the food chain, period." she said. Eren grumbled under his breath.

"Pride be damned, we do what we must to live," she continued. "Your mom didn't ask us to be brave." she walked to him.

She shoved the bread into Eren's mouth.

"Mikasa!" Armin and Saoirse said in unison.

" _Eat it_ ," Mikasa demanded. "She asked us to stay alive, not about to let her down."

Saoirse realized it. "Don't tell me your mother is-" she paused when she saw Mikasa repeatedly push the bread into Eren's mouth, with tears streaming down his face. She knew exactly how they felt.

"Saoirse!" she heard her mother call. Charlotte and Heather ran to her. "It's time to go."

The brunette looked back at her mother and her friends, and she repeated the process. She closed her eyes. She wouldn't let them live alone since their parents were gone.

"Armin, do you have any remaining relatives?" Saoirse asked.

"Yeah, my grandpa," he answered. "But we are struggling to adjust ourselves in the ware house."

Saoirse knew this was her motive. "Mother, can we take care of my friends?" she said.

Eren, Mikasa and Armin's eyes widened. Their newfound friend was helping them.

"What?" Eren said. "Your letting us go with you?"

"What?" Charlotte gasped. "Why?"

Saoirse sighed. "Before father died, I promised him that I would protect everyone I love," she said. "Mikasa and Eren had lost their parents, and Armin and his grandfather are stuggling, I want to take care of them because they are my best friends. So please mom, you have money, so can you take care of them?"

The trio were surprised at their friend's words. They wanted to deny it, but since Saoirse is their new friend, they decided so. "Please," Mikasa begged.

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then she sighed. "Saoirse, your such a gold hearted girl," she said. "Of course we'll take care of them, including Armin and his grandfather."

Armin's eyes lit up. "I have to tell grandpa," he said, and ran to find him.

Mikasa smiled and also Eren as well. Saoirse smiled back, happy that she'll get to take care of her friends. Heather was jumping up and down, excited to meet friends. Saoirse was going to protect her loved ones starting now.

* * *

A few days later, the refugees were put to farm, because of the shortage of food. But the ground did nothing, they just went cruel. On the bright side, Saoirse and her family were taking care of her friends and Armin''s grandfather as well, in which they were grateful for.

The following year, the remaining refugees were already old enough to serve in the Military, in which their task was to reclaim Wall Maria. Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Saoirse were determined to join as well, in hopes of reclaiming their hometown. Eren and Saoirse were getting really close since her mother let them in, and Saoirse realized she has a crush on him.

Armin's grandfather left a few days ago, leaving his hat with his grandson. But, after a while, he was pronounced dead, because of the titans. They took thousands of lives away, with the Survey Corps accounted as the voice of deaths. But their deaths were enough to reduce the famine in the interior. Saoirse said goodbye to her mother and cousin and joined her friends.

Armin was sobbing intently into his grandfather's hat, the fact that he lost another family member in his family. Saoirse, Eren and Mikasa watched sadly as their friend sobbed.

"Armin...," Saoirse mumbled, but she didn't want to make it worse.

They all lost their precious parents, except for Saoirse's mom and cousin.

"We have to find a way to stop them," Eren said, sitting down with Armin. "Our lives will never be our own until we do it. This world will never feel like home."

"That's it, next year I'll be applying to join the cadets," he said. Armin looked at him, with Mikasa and Saoirse staring.

"To become strong enough to fight back," Eren said.

Armin looked down, and hesitated for a moment. "I'm with you," he said.

"You don't have to-!" Eren protested.

Armin closed his eyes. "I do!" he insisted.

"So do I," Mikasa said.

Saoirse looked at her as if she was saying she would die. "What? Mikasa, I thought you wouldn't want to!" she said.

"Dammit, we're not trying to drag you in!" Eren said. "Look there's no point in following me to my death."

Mikasa stayed silent. It wasn't getting in to her. "Yeah, and if I can't help it then it won't be your death," she said.

Eren and Armin stayed silent. Then he looked at Saoirse. "What about you, Saoirse?" he asked.

Saoirse closed her eyes and sighed. "I will," she pronounced.

" _What?_ You serious?" Eren asked. "I'm not trying to drag you in as well."

"I'm joining, because that's what I'm going to do," she said. "I'm not going down without a fight. Wether or not, there's no point in winning if we don't act now. I'll fight for humanity, like my father did. I'll succeed him, and I'll make sure there are no titans left."

Eren was amazed by her words. He suddenly stood up. "All right, together then." he declared. With those words, the quartet promises to fight back and reclaim their home.

* * *

The following year, the quartet successfully entered the Trainee Boot Camp, in which they will be trained to fight titans and graduate in order to enter the Survey Corps. Many teens entered, estimated around five hundred or so.

The instructor went in front. "Straighten those spines, pis sicks!" he shouted. "The 104th Cadet Court Boot Camp starts now! Allow me to introduce myself! Coming down Keith Shadis!"

"And you will grow to hate me! Training is gonna be a ride through hell! If I have done my job you'll be waking up in a cold sweat remembering this place for the rest of your miserable lives! Right now, your nothing, livestock! But over the next three soul crushing years, you'll learn to take down your own Goliath!"

"Remember this moment when you come face to face with him!" he continued. "Cause here's where you ask yourself, 'Am I fighter, or am I feed? Am I gonna be a puppy growling insider?! Or am I gonna be the one to bite?!'"

 _Oh, I'm a fighter alright. This is it._ Saoirse said in her mind. _We are going to do it. Our dream starts... **now!**_

 **YES! OMG IT TOOK ONE DAY TO REDO IT SINCE MY COMPUTER RESTARTED! Anyways, I see favs and follows, but I need REVIEWERS! This story going amazing pretty far, and guess what: Two OC's will be introduced next chapter! But the other one is a minor OC, meaning she wouldn't be seen often and she will have small roles, like those secondary characters like Hannah and Thomas. The other one is gonna be funny, and I promise you'll like her! But the third OC is gonna be introduced pretty later in the story, but you'll get there. I actually enjoyed writing this because the shipping Ereshi (Eren x Saoirse) starts! Yeah, my story if full of CanonxOC ships, because I don't really like the actual ones (Jeankasa is okay I guess) Comment what scene are you excited to see with my OC if you saw the episodes already. I promise the ending of this story would leave you "woah!" Sorry if I didn't get Keith's speech right, because he was speaking so fast (And my phone was dead) but I hope you like this chapter. Anyways, Awinx out for now!**


	3. A Dim Light Amid Despair

Chapter 3: A Dim Light Amid Despair

 **Argh...my computer restarted again...and I have to rewrite FREAKING EVERYTHING! Anyways, it's finally done and now you guys can find out more about my OCs. Well I said there are three main OCs, but there's a fourth one. Unfortunately, she won't be in the upcoming episodes after the Battle of Trost District arc, because she's minor, but you'll find out why. She will be introduced here along with my second major OC, Janessa. The third main one is gonna be introduced pretty much later. And I also noticed there were not enough favs, follows or reviewers. I really need motivation here, :( Anyways, enjoy reading, and remember to fav, follow or review!**

* * *

It is the day the trainees and our favorite quartet had joined the 104th Trainee Squad. After a speech, Keith Shadis walks over to every cadet and demand for name, location and why they would join this boot camp. He even criticized their habits and their looks, because he is not pleased at all and he wants proper behavior when joining a boot camp.

He walks over to the next cadet after the other. "Hey, muff-top!" he called out.

Armin salutes as he was called. " _Sir!_ "

"What do they call you, maggot?" Keith asked with a roaring tone.

"Armin Arlert, from Shinganshina, sir!" the young blonde answered.

"Wow, seriously? Why would your parents curse you with such a dumb name?" Keith criticized.

"It was my grandfather's, sir!" Armin answered with a little tone of fear in his voice.

Saoirse rolled her eyes. It's a nice name to be honest.

Keith leaned closer to his face. "Cadet Arlert, why is a runt like you here?" he said with a threatening tone.

Armin closed his eyes in fear. "To help humanity overcome the titans!" he said.

Keith leaned away from his face. "That is a life of a him! You'd be a great light snack for them," he said. He placed his hand on Armin's head and turned him around. "Row Three, about face, _runt!_ "

He approached to the next one which was tall and had bleach blonde hair. "What do you call yourself?" he asked.

He saluted. "Sir!" he answered. "My name is Thomas Wagner I'm from the Trost District!"

Keith glared at him. "I can't hear you!" he roared.

"I'm from Trost, sir!" Thomas spoke loudly.

Two instructors were walking around, watching the cadets get yelled at. "Look at him go," a bespectacled instructor said. "The man who's a master when it comes to fresh faced recruits."

His friend, who had mustard blonde hair nodded behind him. "That takes me, back," he replied.

Keith was busy yelling at a young girl who had fair skin and black hair donned into pigtails, whose face was really close. "Is a pathetic runt like you here the best cowardness has to offer?!" he shouted into her face.

She closed her eyes in fear. "Sir! I'm afraid that's the case, sir!" she answered loudly.

Keith continued to yell at every cadet as so to get them to prove their determination and that the reason they are joining are meant to be, no matter how timid or shy that person was. Some got insulted, some got hit and some got bruises from getting hit by Keith when no respect or doing something incorrectly was shown. "Row Four, about face!"

The row which consisted of Eren, Saoirse, Mikasa and other cadets faced Keith. The instructor continued to walk, inspecting them and choosing what cadet he would like to yell at. Some shivered, because they didn't' want to be yelled or get hit. Eren, Mikasa and Saoirse kept their demeanor and stoic look. Keith eventually approached five cadets as well.

He approached the first one, which was a she and has fair skin, donning orange-reddish hair that was tied into a ponytail and had messy bangs all over her face with eyes as green as grass. "What do you call yourself?" he asked her.

She saluted. "Sir! The name's Janessa Freud, I hail from the Oruvd District, Wall Sina!" she answered.

Keith leaned closer to her face. "And what choice did you have to join this boot camp?" he said.

"The Military Police are slackers! The Garrisons drink a lot which makes them lazy and drunk but the Survey Corps is a good choice because they are not slackers and they fight for humanity and that's what I'm gonna do to serve humanity!" the redhead said.

Saoirse raised her eyebrows. Janessa seemed interesting. However, Keith shot a dirty look, because he's never seen someone who spoke a picky speech before. Showing his disapproval, he pulled onto Janessa's bangs hard to the point it would seem that they will remove from her hair.

"Pickiness is not tolerated in this boot camp and that's not how you answer your superior, young lady," he said quietly in a threatening voice before switching to his yelling voice. " _Say it again with dignity, slut!_ "

Janessa closed her eyes. "T-To join the Survey Corps to help humanity win our lives!" she answered correctly.

Keith stepped away and let go of her bangs. He approached the next one, which was taller than Janessa and had copper-hair, and his face was compared to a face of a horse.

"What do we have over here?" he demanded.

The boy saluted. "Jean Kirstein sir from the Trost District!" he answered.

"And why are you here, cadet?" he asked.

He smirked. "To join the Military Police sir, the _best of the best!_ " he said.

Eren shot a dirty look while Saoirse rolled her eyes. They didn't appreciate people who join the Military Police just for their own sake than willing to fight for humanity. Janessa sighed. This isn't gonna go well.

"That's nice," Keith said calmly. "You wanna live in the interior, do you?"

Jean grinned as if it wasn't a hard question. "Yes!" he answered.

The bald headed instructor raised his head towards Jean and headbutted him. He fell to the ground covering his forehead in fear, not wanting to get hurt while Janessa winced at this. "No one told you to sit, recruit!" he yelled. "If you can't handle this Kirstein then _forget_ about joining the Military Police!"

He walked over to the next one which had black parted hair and freckles decorated all over his face. "What the hell is wrong with your face you smiling idiot?!" he shouted.

The girl next to him cringed. The freckled boy saluted. "Marco Bott, at your service sir from Jinae, south side of Wall Rose!" he answered. "I'm in to join the Military Police and give life and limit service to the king!"

Saoirse raised her eyebrows again. Although she didn't like people who join the Military Police for their own sake, she seemed to approve the reason why he would join.

"Well then, that makes you an idealistic fool, and a noob," Keith said calmly. "You want the truth?"

He leaned closer to his face. " _The only use the king has for your life and limbs is titan fonder_ ," he said, before he raised his face away and walked over to the girl next to Marco which had fair skin, caramel colored hair which she has two bangs on the sides of her face and curly hair that ended in ringlets at the shoulders.

The girl shivered. "And you! Why do you look so damn pretty here, idiot?" he asked. " _Are you trying to look impressive at a time like this and battling titans?!_ "

She saluted and closed her eyes. "No sir! This hairstyle is adapted from my mother, sir!" she answered.

"What do they call you, slut?" he asked.

"K-Keira Beringer from Jinae south side of Wall Rose!" she said.

" _I can't hear you!_ " Keith roared.

"Keira Beringer Jinae South Side of Wall Rose!" she said loudly.

Keith leaned closer to her, "You hail from the same place as Bott, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"And why have you come here, Keira Beringer?" Keith asked.

"To join the Survey Corps to serve humanity!" she answered.

Saoirse smirked. She seems to admire her.

"I have a little advice for your hair," Keith said before pulling one curl from her hair. " _I recommend that you straighten your hair so it doesn't get in the way of combat against the titans!_ "

He let go and left Keira shivering. Marco turned to her and gave her an assuring smile, although he was sure he would get caught. Keith walked over to the next one which was short and he sports a buzz cut.

"Hey cue-ball, your up next," he said, standing in front of him.

The buzz cut boy piped up. "Oh me? Sir!" he said, saluting. "Connie Springer from Ragako Village, sir!"

However, he didn't realize his salute was wrong, because the correct way of the latter was to put his/her right arm over the left side of the chest, which was the heart, but he did it in reverse. Keith grabbed the sides of his head and raised him, while pinching both sides.

"You have it backwards, Connie Springer," he corrected. "That was the first thing you were taught. The salute represents the resolving of your heart to fight those blithering systematic destruction of our people. _Is your heart on your right side?!_ "

Suddenly, a large crunch interrupted the scene. The instructor faced the direction of the sound which came from a girl who sported brown hair tied into a ponytail, with two bangs covering the sides of her face, and she was eating a potato, at a time like this, munching nervously.

Keith let go of Connie and faced her. "Hey you there, what do you think your doing?" he asked in a threatening tone.

He walked over to her, while she was looking around nervously while munching. She bit the potato again.

" _Your officially on my shit list!_ " he yelled. " _Just who the hell are you?!_ "

The girl quickly swallowed and saluted with the potato in her hand. "Sasha Blouse from Dauper Village at your service!" she said. "Reporting for duty, sir!"

"Sasha Blouse, huh?" he asked. "Then what is that your clutching in your right hand?"

"A steamed potato!" she answered. "It sat there in the mess hall begging to be eaten, sir!"

Keith stared at her. "The theft, I understand," he said. "But _here_ , why eat it _here_ of all places?"

"It looks quite delicious, and it was getting cold," she said. "So I gave it shelter in my stomach, sir."

" _Why?_ " Keith continued to ask. "I can't comprehend. Why would you _eat_ that _potato?_ "

Sasha's mouth widened. "Are you...asking me why people eat potatoes?" she took it incorrectly. "I'm surprised you don't know, sir."

Saoirse mentally slapped her palm against her forehead. Eren, Armin, Janessa, Jean, Marco, Keira and Connie looked at her in complete bewilderment.

She looked at the potato and ripped it in half. She handed the other piece to Keith. "Here sir, have half," she said.

Keith grabbed it and looked at it in dismay. "Have half, _really?_ " he said.

Sasha stared at him for a moment before grinning stupidly.

* * *

The cadets were done with introduction, and it was already sunset by the time they were done. Eren, Armin, Saoirse, Connie, Marco, Keira and the black haired girl named Mina stood on the porch, watching Sasha run laps while looking tired.

"Man, I thought Shadis was gonna kill potato girl," Connie said.

"I know," Eren replied. "What hell on the first day."

"That's a lesson to be taught though," Saoirse said. "Never mess with Shadis."

"I kinda feel bad for her though," Keira said. "She looks so tired; can you die from too much running?"

Saoirse nodded. "Yeah," she said. "In some history books I read that one messenger died from too much running when he was running back to his homeland from the land he was supposed to bring the message too, and that's hella far."

" _Yikes,_ " Mina muttered.

"It's funny," Eren continued. "Being told to run to the sunsets didn't seem to bother her nearly as much as losing meal privileges for the next five days."

"I think she said that she's from Dauper," Connie said. "If I remember right, that's a small hunting village up in the mountains."

"I've read that in a book too," Saoirse said. "Families would often go hunting for food. That must explain why she loves eating, hence also explaining why she ate the potato a while ago."

"You read too much, Saoirse," Eren teased. Suddenly he saw something that caught his attention. "Hey, what's that?"

"They're dropouts," Mina explained. There was a carriage up the hill carrying two people. "They prefer to work in the fields."

"But...it's only the first day," Armin said.

"That's the way it is, if you can't handle the pressure, you've got to leave," Eren said.

The others turned to him. Eren had a determined look on his face. "I can't believe anyone would rather pull plants in the fight."

Marco turned to him. "I know about some of us but you and Saoirse never mentioned where you two were from, Eren," he said.

Eren placed his hand on Armin's shoulder and held Saoirse's hand tightly. "The same as Armin," he answered. "From Shinganshina."

Marco, Connie and Keira stared in awe. "Oh...wow..that means...you saw him, you were there that day," Connie said.

Marco faced him. " _Quiet!_ " he said, he didn't want his new friend to recall the troubles of what happened two years ago.

Keira sighed. "Connie, please," she reprimanded.

The buzz cut boy ignored them anyway. "The Colossal One...did you see him?" he asked with curiosity.

"Yeah...," Eren mumbled. " _Yeah I did._ "

* * *

As dinner came, Eren was busy telling the story of what happened to a crowd of people who surrounded him, full of curiosity. They never seen a titan, but they would love to hear about one. Saoirse was sitting beside him, who was busy reading her copy of "The Hyacinth Willows". Saoirse decided she would let Eren do the talking because he was the one who had the desire to kill titans, and she was busy reading.

"Yeah okay, I saw the big guy," Eren told them while raising his spoon towards his mouth.

All the people surrounding him gasped. "Woah, seriously?" Thomas asked.

A guy named Samuel leaned over. "Okay, exactly how tall was he?" he asked.

"He stuck his head over the outer wall," Eren explained.

More gasps filled the room. "Woah wait, I heard he stepped over the wall completely!" A guy named Daz told them.

Hannah, a freckled girl with a red head joined in. "So did I!" she said.

"That was a rumor in my village too!" another one said.

Saoirse raised her head up from her book. "Don't believe what your folks say if they weren't there to experience the actual thing," she muttered. "Not everyone lives up to their expectations."

Eren nodded as she went back to reading her book and raised his spoon. "He was big but not that big," he continued.

"So what did it look like?" Mina asked.

"It had a mouth like a corpse, and no skin just muscles," Eren answered.

"And the Armored Titan? The one that broke through Wall Maria?" one asked.

Eren sipped. "Is that what they're calling it?" he said. "And with all the panic it was just a titan to me."

"No way..." Samuel said. "So what were they like?"

Eren suddenly froze, as if a bug had bitten on his nape. He dropped his spoon, covered his mouth and gagged. It was clear that the horrible memories of the death of his mother had came back to his mind completely.

Saoirse raised her head up and noticed Eren's troubled look, covering his mouth. She raised her hand towards her crush. "Eren..?" she asked, concerned. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

All the people froze and stopped bombarding him with questions, realizing his look and they soon figured out that Eren's memories of the titan attack had came back. Marco and Keira, who were standing there, they turned to the audience.

"Come on, that's enough questions alright?" Marco said. "I'm sure he'd rather not relive everything he went through."

Keira nodded along. "Surely you all don't know what it felt like," she joined in.

"Sorry," Connie said. "We didn't mean to-"

"It's not like that," Eren assured. He grabbed a loaf of bread and bit into it, while Saoirse was watching him. " _Those stupid titans._ They're really not big of a deal. If we focus on mastering the omni-directional mobility gear they give us, then it's titan payback time."

Jean Kirstein, who was sitting with Janessa, he watched him talk with a bored look and his chin resting on his hand. "I've waited years to be trained as a soldier," Eren continued. "All of sudden the reality is sinking in. I'm joining the Scout Regiment, then I'm sending the titans back to hell. _I'm gonna butcher them all._ "

"Hey, you crazy or something?" Jean suddenly interrupted, with Eren and the audience turning to him.

"Not that it's my business but signing up for a consistence is a death sentence," he continued.

Eren turned to him. "I guess we'll see," he replied. "Or at least I will. You seem content hiding in the interior with the MPs."

Jean remained his look. "Look I'm just speaking honestly here kid, I think it's better than being some loud-mouth braggered tough guy wannabe pretending he isn't scared as the rest of us."

Eren stood up abrubtly. Saoirse and Janessa sighed in unison. "Are you trying to pick a fight?" he said.

"Stop it you guys," Marco tried.

Jean stood up as well. "Alright, sure," he said, walking over to Eren, who was towering over. "Makes no difference to me."

Just when they were about to start fighting, the bell rang. Dinner was over, and it was time to go to their respective dorms. Jean sighed. "Hey, I apologize," he said. "Sorry for calling you names and dismissing your choice of career."

"Put it there kid, what do ya say?" Jean asked, raising his hand.

Eren hesitated. "Right, yeah I'm sorry as well." he said, slapping his hand and walking away. Saoirse grabbed her book and followed him as well. Jean was watching him walk away until Mikasa came into his view. Her long, silky black hair attracted the attention of Jean, as shown when his eyes widened and began to blush profusely.

Janessa noticed his look and groaned, crossing her arms, a look of pure jealousy into her face. But jealous, of what?

Mikasa was halfway to the doorway when Jean called for her. " _U-Um_ , excuse me," Jean said.

Mikasa turned to him. When she did, he stopped and he couldn't stop blushing. "I-Uh...I just wanted to...I-I mean...," he stammered. "I've never seen anyone like you before...I mean-uh...I-I'm sorry. You have really beautiful black hair."

" _Thank you_ ," Mikasa mumbled before walking away completely. Jean just stood there, amazed. Snapping out of daydreaming, he ran outside to look for her. Janessa looked down and her jealous face was replaced with sadness. Keira and Marco walked over to her, in which she placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Janessa," Keira assured. "I'm sure Jean will realize your feelings for him soon enough."

"I-I...," Janessa stuttered, looking up while her face was burning like a kettle.

Marco smiled. "Why don't you go after him?" he said.

"U-Uh, sure!" Janessa said, running towards Jean, who was outside. She stopped into the doorway when she spotted him watching Mikasa walking with Eren and Saoirse.

"Would you lay off? It's not a big deal," Eren said.

"It's just that you get so worked up you don't think things true," Mikasa replied.

"Well, sometimes you don't have to dismiss everyone's choice of career, but Jean totally blew it," Saoirse said. "So is there a point in your sentence, Jean's or both?"

"Neither of it," Mikasa said. "But thanks for the logic."

Eren sighed. "Again with this?" he said. "If you insist on worrying, worry about how long your hair is. It's gonna catch up with you in a bad way when we start on the ODMs."

He flipped on her hair, and Mikasa grabbed one bang and hesitated. "Now that I think about it, yeah," Saoirse said.

"Okay, fine, I'll cut it," Mikasa said. "How short should I go, you think?"

Saoirse shrugged. "Probably not that short," she said. "Maybe just up to where the hair is completely out of the ODM's reach, try chin-length."

"Oh, thanks Saoirse," Mikasa said.

Saoirse nodded. "Hey, it's the least I could do for a friend," she said.

Eren smiled at her. "And you come up with great ideas, just like Armin."

Jean, who watched the whole scene, he was baffled because the long silky hair he saw awhile ago would be gone soon. He didn't notice Connie walking by, humming. Completely stuck in the fantasy of the black hair, he wiped Connie's back.

" _What the hell?!_ " Connie shrieked. "Don't be close along, _dammit!_ What did you wipe on me?!"

He tried to reach for his back, trying to figure out what Jean had rubbed. The horse-faced boy continued to star into blank space, looking delirious.

"Don't worry, _just my trust_ ," Jean mumbled.

* * *

The girls went to their respective dorms while the boys went to theirs as well. They were all in the large room, chatting, brushing hair, some even read books, like Saoirse. She raised her head up and turned to see Mikasa slowly cutting her hair, and went back to reading. Suddenly, she heard footsteps approach and saw Janessa standing in front of her, smiling.

"Uh-Hi!" Janessa greeted. "Your Saoirse...right?"

"Yeah," the brunette said, grinning.

Janessa grinned stupidly. "I-I'm sorry about Jean...he's really like that, so don't mind if he does that to Eren, okay?" she said.

"Nah it's fine," Saoirse assured. "Your Janessa, right?"

The redhead nodded and raised her hand for her to shake. "Nice to meet ya!" she greeted.

Saoirse shook her hand and continued to chat with her new best friend. "Nice to meet you too," she said. "To be honest, I kinda like watching Jean and Eren fight, because it's kinda funny when you put it that way."

"Yeah, I feel the same way," Janessa chuckled.

"I thought you would be like _horse-face,_ " Saoirse said.

Janessa's eyes widened. "Not really, he's been my childhood friend, so I'm not an asshole like he is," she answered. "He's a really nice guy, just acts like a dick sometimes. And I'm surprised you called him horse-face. He does have a face of a horse, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, probably his ancestors are horses," Saoirse joked.

They both laughed at this and high-five each other. " _Sooo_ Janessa...why did you decide to join the Scout Regiment?" Saoirse asked.

"Are you kidding?! I'm totally in for the Scouts!" Janessa cheered. "Well like I said. The Military Police and Garrisons are slackers, but when it comes to fighting titans, slackers are not tolerated!"

"I thought you would go for the Military Police," Saoirse said.

"Duh, I just said they're slackers," Janessa replied. "But I won't be against Jean's choice. My brother is in there as well."

Suddenly, they heard the door open. The girls turned around to see a blonde girl named Krista, and her tall friend Ymir, who was carrying Sasha on her back, AKA Potato Girl. All the girls in the room ran towards them.

"Holy crap, is that potato girl?" Mina asked.

Saoirse leaned over to Janessa's ear. "She must have done her laps," she said.

"Mhm," Janessa mumbled.

Ymir looked at Sasha and then to the girls. "We ended up running into Potato Girl while we were walking back here," she explained. "Krista insisted on doing so."

Janessa gasped, and quickly ran over to Krista, whom she placed her arms on both of her shoulders. _"Everybody! She's a goddess!_ _A GODDESS!_ " she screamed. "Gloria to you, _oh great goddess!_ "

Krista looked at the redhead, and smiled shyly, with the other girls chattering on what Janessa said. Keira walked over as well.

"Her bed's over there, I think I'm beside her," Keira said, pointing over to where she was.

"Thanks," Ymir said, walking over to the bed. As she did, she lowered her chest and slowly put Sasha into the bed. The other girls looked at her, whom all of them are very curious what happened to her after the laps.

"Well, I guess that means that neither of us shouldn't be messing with Shadis," Janessa said.

"Well I'll be damned," Saoirse replied.

Suddenly, the door opened, with the girls turning to see who it was. It was Keith, standing there, glaring at the girls. "Why are you girls still awake?" he asked. "Get some damn sleep already, we have a big day tomrrow you idiots."

"Good night Commander Shadis," all the girls said in unison.

And with that, he closed the door.

* * *

The next day came, and it was training time for the cadets. To master the ODM gear, they had to balance their weight first to make sure they are fit to try the gear. Some cadets struggled with balance, but they did so and made it to mastering the gear.

"It's attitude time, so listen up!" Keith roared. "There's no place for you here if you cannot perform! Fail, and you will be shifted to the fields!"

Some people were taking this easy, some were really hard, because they were heavy. The mustard haired instructor and the bespectacled instructor were walking around again to observe the cadets. "Why, look at this one," the bespectacled one pointed at. "That redhead's definitley struggling, but she's taking it well like a boss."

Janessa barely balanced, as she kept on falling back and forth but raised her arms to try to break it. The two instructors walked over to the next one. "How about this one?" the mustard haired instructor asked, pointing at Keira, who was balancing.

The bespectacled instructor shrugged. "That girl with curls is definitely sturggling as well, but this is a test of mobility and altitude, there's no gurantee that one could easily fall to the floor."

They both walked away and turned at Saoirse, who barely showed movement, balancing very well on the gear. "Well this one's a charm," the mustard-haired instuctor pointed at.

"Well I must say, this one mentioned she was a Hillman," the bespectacled one said. "If I remember correctly, Shadis had briefly mentioned that he was good friends with Ben Hillman. Figured out that she must have advanced learning and that she is the daughter of a Scout."

They walked away to observe more cadets. "Why are we here again? We are supposed to do our duties today instead of watching," the mustard haired instructor asked suddenly.

"We're just drilling the fundamentals here, they can still determine a cadet's mandatory by watching," his friend replied, and something caught his attention, and his eyes widened. "Like her."

Mikasa, who's hair was chin length, she was balancing very well, barely showing any movements of struggling, whilst having a demeanor and chilling look on her face. The other cadets were surprised by her stiff balancing.

"Completely stiff, she inherently knows what to do and how to make it happen, that's what altitude is all about." he finished, walking away and observing Sasha, who was balancing well, Connie on the other hand, struggling but managed to maintain his balance, and Jean was struggling as well but managed to do just fine. Almost everyone seemed to fit in well with the balancing.

"I say we have several people as cadets this year," he continued on.

His mustard-haired friend pointed to what he was seeing. "And what about this guy?" he asked.

The bespectacled instructor turned to where his friend is pointing and is surprised by what he saw. "That's precisely why we're on these tests," he said calmly. "He proves that drive and dedication do not always translate in capability."

Eren was hanging from the wires, completely upside down and screwing his chance of mastering the ODM gear. Keith knelt down and he looked very angry with the way he is balancing.

"Why is your mission malfunctioning, _Yeager?!_ " Keith yelled. "Straighten yourself up!"

Lots of cadets were snickering and giggling at the sight, whilst Eren looked completely devastated by the fact that he failed balancing in order to master the ODM gear. Saoirse was already finished, and she heard lots of people cheering for her. The instructor lowered the wires and she was already down. She saw Eren, and she immediately looked panic.

 _Oh no...Eren! He's not doing well with the wires! I've got to help him!_

* * *

Training was already done, and it was sunset already. Apparently, Eren failed to master his balance, so the quartet headed outside and try to teach Eren how to balance without failure. They all already mastered it except for Eren, so given the choice they train without him or he would lose his dream of mastering the gear for killing titans.

"Just remember the basics and you' should be fine," Mikasa instructed.

Armin was in charge of the wires while Mikasa and Saoirse were there to assure him. "Try not to look down Eren," Saoirse added.

"I won't," Eren replied.

"No need to try any fancy maneuvers, just focus on your balance," Mikasa continued. "Then distribute your weight evenly between the belts on your waist and your leg."

Saoirse nodded. "And try to relax your body, straightening it would avoid falling." she said.

"Thanks girls," Eren said.

"Loosen up your stance a little bit," Armin added. "If I could do it I know that you can."

Eren turned his head towards his friend. "Okay, a loose stance would balance," he said. "Let's give it a shot Armin."

The blonde boy nodded hesitantly. Armin grabbed on the lever and began to rotate it, raising the wires connected to Eren's belt. As the wires began to rise, Eren began too. Saoirse watched hesitantly and hoping that he would master it now so he would tomorrow. As soon as his feet rose above the floor, Eren looked down, and fell right away yelling, hitting his head against the rocky ground.

" _Eren!_ " Saoirse shrieked.

* * *

Dinner came, and the quartet decided to eat after a long day at training. Some cadets glanced at Eren and decided to mock him of his abilities if he truly wanted to butcher all titans.

"Hey Daz," one guy said to his friend while looking at him. "He was talking big about butchering all the titans but he got real plaid after all the training, didn't he?"

Eren had pure horror on his face hearing that, and had a bandage wrapped around his head.

"I guess it's the fields for him tomorrow," Daz replied. "Can't keep wasting food on the issues."

Saoirse turned to them and shot them a death glare, in which the two boys grew scared and went back to eating their food. Saoirse was really nice and friendly, but she is scary when she's angry sometimes.

"Don't listen to them Eren," Saoirse murmured, with Armin nodding in agreement.

"Eren," Mikasa said as she placed her hand on his shoulder, which made him yelp in fright.

"Worrying won't solve the thing," Armin assured. "There's still time to get some practicing than worrying."

"All that matters is you have to concentrate on your balance, that's what we're worried about," Saoirse said.

"How pathetic," Eren said. "How am I supposed to kill them when I can't even stand up straight?"

"It might be time to let that dream die," Mikasa muttered.

All three faced her, which she remained her demeanor expression as she ate her food.

"Mikasa... _what are you saying?_ " Saoirse asked.

"What's best for Eren," Mikasa replied.

"What do you mean?" Eren said.

"I think you should give up this attempt to be a soldier, there's a lot more to fighting in combat than just throwing your life away in vain." Mikasa said.

Saoirse and Eren gave her looks as if she said that the whole world never mattered to her.

"What are you saying...?!" Eren said. "After _everything_ we saw that day and after what happened to my _mom?!_ Your _crazy_ if you think I'm just gonna walk away."

"You can't just throw your hopes and dreams away just because you couldn't do it!" Saoirse defended, even though Mikasa's her best friend.

"I get it, but it doesn't matter how determined you are," Mikasa continued.

" _W-Wait, what do you mean?_ " Eren demanded.

Mikasa faced him. "Because whether or not your fit to be a soldier, isn't up to you." she said clearly.

Eren's eyes widened at this. At that moment, the bell rang and now it is time to go to sleep tomorrow for more training, with the exception of Eren, who would be working in the fields. Mikasa continued to rant calmly about how she wouldn't let Eren do his dream, without noticing the people are leaving already and her friends and brother already left.

Saoirse tapped on his shoulder. "Meet me later after midnight, change into your uniform," she said.

Eren faced her. " _What?_ " he asked.

"Just do it," Saoirse said whilst hugging her books tightly and walking away to the girls' dorm. Eren looked confused, but he would do it anyway.

* * *

It was already 1:00am, and everyone was already sleeping, including Shadis. Eren walked out of the dorm with his uniform on and went outside to find Saoirse. He looked and looked, until a tap on the shoulder happened.

"Let's go outside where the balancing is," Saoirse whispered, pointing to the direction. Eren nodded hesitantly.

The two walked to the area where it was already dark, the night owls and night sounds were heard. It was very windy, and Saoirse felt a little guilty for letting her crush stay up late, but she had to help him or else he won't fulfill his dream.

"Uh, why are we here again?" Eren asked.

Saoirse grabbed his hand and let him towards the balancing machine. "I am going to help you balance, whether you like it or not," she said. "I'm willing to help."

"Wha? Saoirse, you realize you are breaking curfew just for me? Why?" Eren said.

"Because I care about you," Saoirse said.

Eren's eyes widened at these words. "Look, you may think I'm overprotective like your sister but I'm not gonna let you walk away and throwing your dreams and hopes in the trash."

"You-You mean all these?" Eren asked.

Saoirse gripped on his hand tightly. "Of course," she said with a bright smile. "Look on the bright side Eren."

Eren didn't reply. "Okay...there is no bright side after all, but try to stay positive." Saoirse assured.

Eren hesitated before placing his hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad to have you Saoirse," he said.

"I'm glad too," Saoirse replied.

Eren scratched his neck. "So, where should we start?" he asked.

Saoirse walked over to the balancing machine and grabbed the wires. "Right now and here," she said, gesturing Eren to come over.

Eren walked over and let Saoirse adjust the wires into his belt. As soon as she was done, she stood in front of Eren so she could assure and advice him.

"Okay, remember what we said earlier, straighten up, adjust your waist and leg evenly and loosen your stance, got it?" Saoirse asked.

"Got it," Eren said.

"And also, try not to aim for the perfect balance, just hang in there," Saoirse assured.

"You sure?" Eren asked.

"Trust me," Saoirse said. "Now let's get this over with."

Saoirse walked behind the machine and rotated the lever for Eren to try to master his balance.

* * *

The next day came, and it was final training for balancing before assigned to work in the fields. Eren was already adjusted to the machine, sweating profusely, but not afraid while facing Keith Shadis.

"Eren Yeager, are you ready?" Keith asked.

Eren was sure this was his question. "Yes sir!" Eren said.

Eren faced down and tried to assure himself in his mind. Armin, Mikasa and Saoirse watched nervously. Eren looked at Saoirse, who nodded reassuringly. He has to remember what Saoirse taught him last night, because he loves her and thanks her for teaching him.

Keith looked one last time. "Proceed."

The cadet rotated the lever, raising the wires and raising Eren. Before he realized it, his feet was off the ground already. He tried not to look down, and relax and stay calm. This is it. He has to master it once and for all. Mikasa, Saoirse, Armin and the rest of Eren's friends watched nervously. Eren lowered his arms and began to balance well. So far so good. Saoirse smiled, because Eren took of her word to not aim for the perfect balance, but just try to hang in.

The cadets started to cheer for Eren, finally seeing him master the balancing. He was gonna do it. He's gonna use the ODM to kill titans and finally fulfill his life goal since that day. Eren fell backwards, but managed to maintain his balance as well. He grinned, happy that he finally mastered it. But suddenly, he felt a trim in his belt, causing him to fall from the back, earning collective gasps from the cadets.

 _No_.. _no_...Saoirse panicked in her mind. _No_... _not yet_..!

Keith walked over, where Eren was trying to get himself back up. "No! Not yet!" Eren pleaded. "Once more! I can do it!"

Eren struggled to get himself back up. Keith noticed something. "Lower it," Keith demanded.

Thomas lowered the wires, and Eren knelt to the ground, completely disappointed of what had happened. He was just about to master it when he suddenly fell, like he was reaching for heaven when he plummeted back to the earth.

"I- _I'm finished_..." Eren cried, tears spilling out of his eyes.

 _Eren_...Saoirse raised her hand to call him, but Mikasa placed her hand on hers, stopping her. Saoirse looked sadly at Eren. He failed. He was gonna work in the fields.

 _This...this is all my fault_...Saoirse cried mentally.

Keith looked at Thomas. "Wagner, please exchange belts with Mr. Yeager," he said.

"Y-Yes sir!" Thomas answered.

The crowd gasped, because the reason Eren fell was because the belt's buckles were broken. Thomas lent his and Eren tried once more. This time, he didn't fall, because he took his friends' advice, especially Saoirse's. He did it. He finally mastered his balance.

"Your equipment was defective," Keith explained, showing the belt. "If given a piece of functional gear you might have not been worthless after all."

Saoirse beamed upon hearing this. "What we didn't notice is that it was a broken clasp," he showed it to Eren. "But after visit to the supply team we figured it cracked up like a skull."

The crowd gasped. "He..he still did it!" one said.

"Even when wearing that busted gear!" another one cried out.

"So you mean I-I didn't wash out?" Eren asked whilst trying to maintain his balance.

Keith hesitated. "You made the cut. Now keep training cadet."

Eren's eyes widened. He raised his arms up in victory and grinned at his friends. " _YES! CONGRATS EREN! YES! WOOHOOO!_ " Saoirse screamed for him. The other cadets faced her, in which she covered her face in embarrassment, face beet red. Eren grinned as well. He was happy his crush's teachings successfully made him pass the test.

"It seems like things worked out for him," a muscled boy named Reiner said.

"Look his eyes are saying 'check me out,'" Armin said.

"They're not," Mikasa said.

Reiner, his tall friend Bertolt, Armin and Saoirse looked at Mikasa. "His eyes are saying that he doesn't have to leave," Mikasa said. "Not anymore."

Keith smiled. His friend would be proud of his son.

* * *

Soon, the cadets were finally allowed to master the ODM gear. They glided all over the forest, somersaulting and showing off their athletic abilities while gliding. Saoirse mastered it really well, same with Mikasa, but Eren was handling it like a boss. Keith was riding on his horse while watching the cadets glide happily, finally to use this efficacious method to kill titans.

* * *

After, Saoirse and Eren were walking into the fields, wanting to have some privacy together.

"Saoirse?" Eren called out.

"Hm?" Saoirse replied, looking at him while clasping on her book.

Eren stopped, and Saoirse stopped too. He rubbed the back of his neck, and his cheeks went red. He faced her. "T-Thanks for helping me out on balancing," Eren said.

Saoirse smiled and her cheeks went rosy red as well. "I'm glad you mastered it Eren," she said.

She began to walk, but Eren quickly grabbed her arm. "Wait, Saoirse!" Eren called out.

She turned around to look at him. "Yes?"

"...this is for helping me out."Eren said.

He suddenly pulled Saoirse into his chest, hugging her. She was blushing madly, her face could explode any minute know. She noticed Eren was blushing madly as well. Saoirse dug her head deeper into Eren's chest, smelling his sweet scent.

 _It's so warm...I can't wait to confess to Eren about how I love him...I love him more than anyone else in the world..._

While the two were busy hugging romantically, Mikasa and Armin were watching the entire scene, with the two not aware they are being watched.

"Do you think they like each other?" Armin asked.

Mikasa smirked. "Yes. Yes they do."

* * *

 **YES IM FINALLY DONE WITH THIS CHAPTER IT TOOK ME HOURS TO COMPLETE IT. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, and I would appreciate it if you gave a fav, follow or review! Dammit, I need more of those. I ENJOY WRITING EREN X SAOIRSE SO MUCH BECAUSE I SHIP IT SO MUCH (Sorry Eremika fans) Well there will be more OC x Canon ships coming in the future. And I recommend you play the ending theme song "Beautiful Cruel World" after you read this chapter. But when it's episodes 14-25, play the "Great Escape" song, the new end credits song for AOT. Bye for now! Awinx out!**


	4. The Night of the Closing Ceremony

Chapter 4:The Night of the Closing Ceremony

 **Hey again! I usually take one day of break or resting before beginning the next long chapter. Anyways, there's not enough favs follows or reviews again :(. I hope you do any of those after reading this chapter!**

* * *

 _Year 850, Two Years after Joining the Cadets_

After three long years of training, the latter has finally came. Cadets mastered combat, intelligence and ODM Gear throughout those last years. Today, they are doing the ODM Gear Training where they must test their knowledge and be able to fight titans effectively using the gear. It was raining today, which may seem a little hard when getting to the designated area of the titan combat test.

" _Pick up the pace you legged-peal luggers!_ " Keith shouted when he didn't hear enough cadets running while carrying their gear over the backpacks, which reduced their weight.

"Boots watering over mud, Arlert?" Keith asked, looking back whilst riding his horse. "Let's see some hustle!"

Armin was sweating and panting all over, all because of the heavy luggage he had to carry. Even though he joined the Trainee Boot Camp, he was very weak and he was one of the lightest soldiers in camp.

"Having trouble there, son?" Keith asked. "Leave it in the mud! The titans would digest you easily with all that excess in the bag!"

He slapped the reigns and his horse went faster, ahead of Armin. Not to mention that he was behind all the soldiers, since they handled the pressure of the bag. "Dammit..." Armin panted.

"Seriously?" A strong voice roared above him. His bag was suddenly removed from his shoulders and turned to see his friend Reiner, who was carrying two heavy bags. He was one of the strongest soldiers, even heavier than an ox.

"Here, focus on staying up right," Reiner said. "We are being graded on this, you know."

"Thanks but uh-they put a demerit on you for helping," Armin said.

Reiner faced him directly. "Yeah, if they find out," he said. "Just make the cut. We're even, alright?"

Keith noticed Reiner at the back from the corner of his eyes. Reiner went forward ahead of Armin.

 _Reiner Braun. The mind and constitution of a grass-fed ox. Respected by his comrades._

"I'm no one's bird, you hear me?" he said.

He attempted to run faster, and he was already with the other cadets. He grabbed his bag from Reiner and put it over his shoulder, wanting to prove himself strong even though he was the opposite of it. He went ahead of the other cadets, no matter how tired he is.

 _Armin Arlert. Built like a daffodil, but academically brilliant._

" _Heey!_ " A cheery voice came behind from Armin. He heard faster pace behind his back and realized she was beside him already, looking tired as he was. Armin noticed the redhead as his friend Janessa.

"You okay there buddy?" Janessa asked.

"Yeah, I guess I'll hang in for a while," Armin said.

Janessa grinned. "Dude, it's titan combat training!" she slapped her hand on his back. "We have to be strong for this. This is the day we've been waiting for since I don't know...forever!"

Armin looked at his friend and smiled. "Thanks Janessa," he said. "I wonder how Jean Marco and Keira think of your hyper-activeness."

Janessa scoffed. "Oh please," she teased.

 _Janessa Freud. Loud and optimistic like a peacock, but she handles honesty and ODM Training very efficaciously._

* * *

The soldiers in charge of the fake titans raised the latter up for them to test their combat. The nape was in form of plastic, in which the cadets have to target when battling a real titan. It has stopped raining, which makes them easier to train than doing so while getting sick in the rain.

Bertolt, Jean and Annie headed towards the fake titan. Bertolt and Annie sliced the nape of a single fake titan one by one. And to finish it, Jean sliced a third cut into the fake nape, finishing the job.

 _Annie Leonhart. Gifted with a sword, but does not exactly play well with others._

 _Bertolt Hoover. Heaps of native of talent, but too mild-mannered._

 _Jean Kirstein. Head of the class on ODM. Also an insufferable smart ass with a hair triggered temper._

Keith was standing on a branch and listing down the scores of the cadets who sliced the nape of the fake titan. Jean jumped on his ball of the foot on the branch and continued to glide. "Think those show-offs slice and dice?" he questioned. "Best hope he sees a titan before I do."

He heard yahooing from behind, and turned to see his best friend Janessa gliding excitedly like a maniac, slicing napes of titans while eyes closed. He smiled. "Heh, Janessa seems fitting into slicing and dicing, but if we play cards right, she'll see who's the great deal in killing those bastards!" he said, gliding faster than ever.

He zoomed so fast, the trees and sight surrounding him became a blur. He eventually found a fake titan, and he was going for it. "Gonna lead the charge!" he heard the voice of Connie charging towards his supposed target, passing by him.

The buzz cut boy sped towards the fake titan. "You care if I steal your thunder, right?" he asked. He went up to the fake nape, ready to slice. But the nape was sliced before he could do so, as if a ghost has slice it. He saw Sasha gliding happily, eyes closed and happy that she sliced the nape very well. He turned to see Janessa emerge from the trees and stopped in her tracks when she saw the sliced nape.

"Hey no fair!" Janessa cried out.

"You shouldn't have gotten here sooner, redhead!" Connie teased.

"Haha, very funny Connie!" Janessa replied.

Sasha fell to the ground on her back, and before she could hit it, her wires pulled her back up.

 _Sasha Blouse. Unusually fine instincts, rarely shares some with her teammates._

 _Connie Springer. Agile on the switch backs, a few sandwiches shy of a picnic._

They eventually stopped arguing when they saw a brunette zoom past them, in which they realized it was their friend Saoirse. She dodged every tree in her eway and was perfectly handling the gear well, like a mockingjay.

She turned to see her friend Mikasa and her crush Eren gliding with her as well. The three of them headed towards their targeted titan.

"Get ready." A soldier told his friend while listing the scores. His friend pulled the rope, which pulled up three fake titans. The trio headed towards it, readying their blades for hard cutting. Mikasa and Eren went first in cutting. Eren sliced the titan's fake nape a second time. Saoirse somersaulted and like a spinning top, she sliced the nape effectively.

 _I know I'm good but...I don't really want to be in the top ten. Considering I should give fifth place to Eren instead._ She spoke in her mind.

 _Saoirse Hillman. Academically excellent and an efficacious fast learner like her father, compared to a mockingjay, although suffers from shallowness._

 _Mikasa Ackerman. Model cadet, excels in everything. In fact, it's not overstated to call the girl a genius._

 _Eren Yeager. Lackluster in the classroom, marginally better in the field, but driven by a sense of purpose that's almost terrifying._

* * *

The second part of training came after titan combating; martial arts. Other cadets were weak to do it, but they are forced to in order to graduate the class before heading towards their designated legion. They were grouped in two, testing their killer instinct and fast mind. It wasn't surprising that Saoirse got grouped with Sasha, aka Potato Girl.

Sasha readied her fist while Saoirse readied her stance. The potato girl started to zoom towards her opponent. Saoirse, having fast instinct, she quickly grabbed Sasha's arm and threw her over her shoulder, injuring her. Sasha rubbed her temples, with eyes closed, not noticing Saoirse's extended arm reaching towards her. "Sorry if I hurt you," she apologized.

Sasha grabbed her hand and she wiped the dirt off her clothes. "Nah, it's cool," she replied. "But girl! You've got killer instinct. How did you learn how to fight like that?"

Saoirse shrugged. "I'm not really super good, but I'm doing fine. Mikasa taught me how to fight when we were younger. Pretty much, childhood lessons."

Sasha's eyes lit up. " _Mikasa's your childhood friend?_ " she asked.

 _"_ Yeah," Saoirse mumbled and rubbed her hands. "Alright, my turn before we go on to knives."

Sasha nodded. "Your on."

Sasha readied her stance. Saoirse immediately sped towards her, in which Sasha dodged. She tried to grab her arm, but Saoirse's arm flew away before she got grabbed on. Sasha sped her fist towards Saoirse when back was turned, only for the brunette to grab her fist and pull her towards, and flip her over, again.

"Your...your really good..." Sasha panted.

Saoirse chuckled and she helped her friend up. Then, Saoirse grabbed the wooden knife from nearby and stared right into it. "Still though, I'm not sure about testing sudden knife attacks," she said. "I think I'm getting anxious again..."

Sasha scoffed. "Probably because you've never used one before or your just afraid," she replied.

Saoirse faced her. "What? No! I'm not afraid of knives," she denied. "I'm just nervous, that's all..."

"Oh, come on!" Sasha pleaded. "I won't hurt you, and you won't hurt me, so game on!"

"Okay, I am a little bit afraid of knives," Saoirse admitted.

"I know how you feel right now," Sasha assured. "This is a test of instinct and mobility. You have to be prepared because attacks can happen anytime! I know your smart and brave but-you can do this. I know you can."

Saoirse faced her. "H-How do you do a speech like that?" she asked. Sasha may be a monster for food since she's from Dauper, but her speeches were really good.

Sasha shrugged. "Family lessons I guess," she replied.

"Right..." Saoirse mumbled, when she glanced at Eren sparring with Reiner. Suddenly, Saoirse saw Eren staring at Annie, who was walking by.

"Wh-What's Annie doing slacking off?" Saoirse asked.

Sasha faced her. "Say what now?" she asked.

Saoirse gestured her to look at Reiner who was talking with Eren about Annie presumably. "Nah, probably just bored or something," Sasha said, turning away.

Saoirse continued to stare at them, in which they were far away. She didn't even hear Sasha call out for her, because she was stuck in space. It went on forever until she felt a large pain on her abdomen, causing her to fall on her butt. Sasha extended her hand to help her up. She placed her hand on her friend's palm and she was back up. Sasha stared at her with a funny look and hands on hips.

"Saoirse, usually you go kick ass and hell like you did awhile ago but you were busy dazing off on to space!" Sasha said. "What gives?"

Saoirse rubbed her arms. "Sorry, I-I don't know what came over me," she mumbled.

Sasha raised an eyebrow. "Your staring at Eren again, aren't you?" she guessed.

Hearing this made Saoirse's face go tulip red, and shook her hands. "U-Uh no! I was staring at something else, you would believe me if I said it, right?" she denied.

Sasha laughed. "Of course not!" she said, putting her arm around Saoirse's neck. "Saoirse, I've known you for three years, and I would never deny that fact that you love Eren down right to the core of earth!"

Saoirse covered her mouth. "Not so loud, Sasha!" she said.

She put her hand over Saoirse's hand and removed it from her mouth to breathe. "Come on, everyone in the 104th Trainee Boot Camp, I mean _every_ soul here, knows your crush on Eren," she let out.

Saoirse didn't reply. "W-With the exception of Eren, of course." Sasha added.

"So...what?" Saoirse asked.

"It's not obvious when people catch you gazing at him," Sasha said.

"Don't rub it in my face," Saoirse said, glancing at Eren, Reiner and Annie again from afar. She saw Annie form her fighting stance, which drew more attention.

"What's so important about him today?" Sasha asked, joining her friend in watching.

Eren sped towards Annie, in which she kicked his shin, causing Eren to fall on his knees. Saoirse winced at this. He stood up and he fell again, showing his knees hurt badly. Eren grabbed the dagger, and before he knew it, Annie grabbed his mouth and flipped him over, holding the dagger in her hand and walking away.

"Ouch," Saoirse muttered.

Annie handed the knife to Reiner, and she got ready. Before he could act, Annie flipped him on his back too. Eren got up already. Annie faced him. Saoirse and Sasha knew things were gonna get ugly.

They were talking for a bit, in which the two girls couldn't make out what it was. She suddenly sped towards Eren and held the knife near his chest. "Oh snap," Sasha muttered.

Eren attempted to grab the knife, but Annie dodged under him and kicked him with a roundhouse kick. Eren landed on his back, and Annie held the knife near his chest again. There was a brief moment, before she stood up. She walked away, and Reiner stood up already and talked to him. Eren stood up as well and stared at Annie.

"Damn, that's one hell of a kick," Sasha said. "Come on Saoirse, let's get back to training."

Saoirse grunted and went back to her position as well. She looked angry. "Hey, what's with the smug look?" Sasha asked.

"It's not at you, its at Annie," Saoirse replied.

Sasha stayed silent before smirking. "Oh, I know the feeling," she said.

"You do?" Saoirse asked, expecting it's what she thinks.

Sasha sighed. "You know Saoirse, you can tell from when someone is glancing at someone else differently," she said. "It makes no difference to it. Your _jealous_."

Saoirse winced. " _Wh-What?!_ Jealous? Jealous...of _what?_ " she erupted.

Sasha yawned, as if it wasn't a big deal. "The fact that you think Eren is staring at Annie," she replied.

Saoirse rubbed her hands. "I'm not jealous. I'm just...weird..." she replied. "I just don't like the way he stares at her and the way she kicked his ass."

Sasha smirk grew bigger. "That's jealousy hon," she answered.

"I'm not jealous- _I'm weird!_ " Saoirse insisted. **(You know this reference :))**

Suddenly, they heard footsteps approach them. They turned to see Keith, who was not looking amused by the distractions.

"What are you two girls doing and why haven't you shown signs of training?" he asked in his usual threatening tone before switching to yelling. " _Get back to work!_ "

Saoirse and Sasha saluted nervously. " _Y-Yes Commander Shadis!_ " they answered.

* * *

Training was done, and now it is time to eat dinner. "I know okay," Armin said. The quartet were gathered at the table. "And look, I'm not saying it's right it's just the way things are. Before Wall Maria was compromised, ODM patrol were rare..."

Saoirse was reading like usual while eating. While Armin was busy talking about the ODM Gear, he didn't notice Eren staring at Jean, who was sitting and talking with Marco along with Janessa and Keira, who were sitting in front of them.

"That's how you conserve fuel, to mention and do the work for you," Jean said. Marco looked interested.

"Interesting," Keira mumbled.

"Duh, that's pretty advanced," one guy said.

Jean rested on his hand on the table. "Duh, it's called having a sixth sense for the finer points of your gear," he continued. He turned at Mikasa, who was sipping her soup. Seeing Jean stare at Mikasa caused Janessa to lower her eyes, in which Keira placed a hand on her friend's shoulder to approach her.

"You gotta do this straight if you wanna make the cut," Jean said. "The MP only recruit the best."

Janessa and Keira exchanged excited looks. Marco smiled and looked up, sighing in relaxation. "Man that will be amazing," he said. "Working with the with the king? No greater honor than that."

He raised his jar to drink. "Shut up Marco," Jean said, slapping his buddy's head on the jar, causing liquid to spill on his face.

"We're not children, you can drop the misty-eyed BS," Jean said, forming a sinister look at Marco. "Honor doesn't have any damn part of it. You just want a nice, cushy job in the interior playing glorified century."

Marco lowered his eyebrows. "That's not true! That's not me at all!" Marco protested.

Janessa leaned over to Keira's ear. " _I'm not really into the MPs, but we will give our boys 10_ ," she whispered, with Keira giggling like a fangirl.

"Listen you guys," Eren's voice interrupted the scene.

Marco and Jean turned to Eren, who was drinking from his pitcher. "Interior?" Eren started. "Five years ago this was part of it."

Jean abruptly turned to him. "You've got a point to make, _friend?_ " he said, using the same tone as Shadis. "I'm right here."

Eren closed his eyes. "Poor Jean, so misguided and besides...," he muttered, before glaring at his rival. " _I don't think your head will fit into the interior, anyway._ "

Jean twitched his eye. Saoirse raised her head up from her book and smirked at Janessa, in which she returned and grinned stupidly. Snickers were heard throughout the room, leaving Jean to look around in humiliation before turning to Eren. "Very funny," he said.

"Seems a little backwards to me," Eren continued. "Fine tuning your titan skills so the brass station will be somewhere you'll never see one."

"You'd rather I was good at getting killed?" Jean replied. "Thank you but I'll pass. Better to get this system to get nod on."

Eren growled in anger, before standing abruptly. " _You son of a bitch!_ " he yelled.

"Bring it on, you little bastard!" Jean said.

The two walked threateningly to each other. Saoirse and Janessa exchanged teasing smiles at each other. Aside from being best friends, they enjoyed watching Eren and Jean argue. Armin stood up. "Eren please stop it!" he pleaded.

Eren grabbed Jean's collar. Mikasa stood up and grabbed Eren's hand. "Gentlemen, please," she said, lowering his hands. Eren faced his sister, and looked down for a moment.

" _You think you can judge me?!_ " Jean shouted suddenly.

" _You rip my shirt your dead!_ " Eren yelled back.

" _I don't give a damn about your shirt you piss me off!_ " Jean yelled.

" _What?! Are you crazy?!_ " Eren screeched.

Eren suddenly paused, as if the whole world has paused in general. He looked at Annie, in which she was watching, not noticing Saoirse scoff at this. He stopped for a moment, thinking about what he must do to show Jean he's a coward. He might have gotten beaten up by Annie, but he did learn a thing or two from her. He grabbed Jean's grip from his collar and pushed his face away, before raising his leg and kicking Jean in the shin, a surprise roundhouse kick.

Saoirse and Janessa gasped at this and exchanged shocked looks. Jean landed on his back, earning collective gasps from the other cadets. Eren turned to Jean. The horse-faced boy sat up and rubbed his head. "Dammit..." Jean mumbled. " _What the hell was that move?!_ "

"Little something I picked up this afternoon while you were busy with your thumb up your ass," Eren explained, and Annie studied him closely.

"You honestly believe the Military Police are gonna take you to the good life?" Eren asked. "Your not a soldier. _Your a joke_."

The cadets stayed silent at this. Suddenly, the door opened, and Eren and Jean turned to see a not-so-good-looking Keith standing in the doorway like a human shadow. "Would someone care to explain the little ruckus I've heard just now?" Keith asked in his usual threatening tone. " _I do hope everything's alright._ "

Jean and Eren sat back in their seats as Keith stepped in. The cadets stayed silent before Mikasa raised her hand up. "Sasha passed some gas, commandant." she said.

Sasha gasped at this. The other cadets snickered as well. Saoirse tried to cover her laughing face behind her book, Janessa was snickering very loudly and Keira had to stop herself from laughing.

"Why am I not surprised?" Keith asked, covering his nose.

Sasha gasped louder. "For the love of God, learn some self-control." Keith said before closing the door. Sasha pleaded with Mikasa whilst grabbing her arm on why she did that, before the Asian-girl stuck bread inside her mouth to silence her. Jean and Eren glared at each other, while Saoirse shrugged at Janessa with a smile and Janessa returned it.

* * *

It has finally came. The night the Trainees would finally disband and go for their legions.

"Do you have hearts?!" the instructor yelled.

The cadets saluted. "Sir!" they all yelled in unison.

"As of this moment you have three options open to you; choose wisely!" he continued. "The Garrison Regiment: Whose job is to reinforce the walls. The Scout Regiment: Who rides out to the titan country to take back what was once ours. And the MP Regiment: They restore law and order for his royal majesty. Those cadets eligible for the MP have already been named! The rest of you take a look: These are the top of your class!"

The cadets have been listed from first to tenth from the left: Mikasa, Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Eren, Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha and Krista. They have attained the top ten. Saoirse was gonna be in it, but she told the instructor she wouldn't be interested even though she's really good and gave her place to Eren instead. Armin, Saoirse, Keira and Janessa stood in the back.

 _Finally...we made it...we can finally settle this war of titans and humans once and for all!_ Saoirse declared in her mind.

* * *

After the ceremony, the cadets decided to have one last dinner together before they go separate ways. Some were cheering and they chugged all the way to the point they would go drunk. The quartet were sitting together along with Keira and Janessa.

"I can't believe it," Keira said. "We finally graduated! It feels like time has passed."

Janessa put her arms behind her head in a relaxation pose and sighed. "All those hard work were pretty damn worth it," she said.

Armin chuckled. "What about you girls?" he asked. "Jean and Marco are gonna be in the MPs. So what regiment will you two join?"

The redhead wrapped her arm around Keira's neck. "Scout Regiment!" she declared. "Nothing more than a good battle to win our freedom."

"Hehe, yeah," Keira replied. "What's yours, Armin?"

The blonde looked down. "I'm thinking about it," he said.

Saoirse raised her head up from her book. "I'm going for Scouts," she said. "Eren's gonna be there too. I don't know about Mikasa though."

Armin said. "But Saoirse, Mikasa's your friend, she should tell you what legion she's gonna join," he said.

Saoirse shrugged. "I know for sure she's gonna join the Military Police because she isn't interested in titan combat and stuff even though she nails it," she said.

"Speaking of which, I don't understand why everyone in the top ten with the exception of Eren and Krista seems to go for the MPs," Armin said.

"How do you know that?" Janessa asked.

Armin wrinkled his face. "Reiner, Bertolt and Annie mentioned they would go for it. Connie and Sasha seemed interested too. Jean has the same reason, but Marco would join for something good, and I don't know about Mikasa."

"Honestly. the MPs are nothing but slackers to me," Janessa said.

"I don't really think there's nothing to see in that regiment," Saoirse mumbled. "I mean, wasting your score for the MPs just to be protected inside the interior? It seems pretty legit if you ask me."

Keira nodded. "But Janessa and I would go and visit Jean and Marco at times," she said.

Janessa smiled. "Yep, and we can tell them all about how a great team we make!" she bragged.

Saoirse faced her and gave the two of them a smirk. "You two seem so content into Jean and Marco so much you would plead the MPs to let you in just to be with your two _boyfriends_."

Keira and Janessa turned red as a beet, covering their faces with their arms. "Wh-Who said anything about having them as our boyfriends?" Keira denied.

"Th-Their not our boyfriends! We just-really like them!" Janessa joined as well.

Saoirse and Armin exchanged smirks. The two decided to go join Eren and Mikasa as well while the two girls waved goodbye and left to go talk with Marco and Jean. It has been a while since the quartet was chatting with the crowd until the topic of the scouts came up.

"Your really gonna turn your back into the MPs into the Scouts?" Thomas asked.

"Why in the world would you do that?" Samuel asked. "Your in the top ten."

Saoirse glanced at them. "Not all people go for what they wanted after they spent so much work trying to achieve it only to waste it all for slacking off," she said, with Armin nodding in agreement.

"The Scouts has always been my goal," Eren said. "I don't want the easy life. Not with all the work I've put in. I've trained to fight titans."

Saoirse nodded in agreement. Thomas looked at him as if he was witnessing a murder. " _Are you insane?!_ " Thomas yelled so loud, the cadets stopped talking and they all looked at the quartet. Thomas looked around and faced them. "How many people have died? We're talking fifth of the population."

Jean watched with his chin resting on his hand. "If that doesn't paint a picture for you, then I don't know what will," he continued.

"This is our life now, _we can't beat them_." Thomas finished with fear in his eyes.

Saoirse turned to him. "What do you mean we _can't?_ " she demanded.

Thomas looked down, feeling ashamed to say all that. "Yeah, so what?" Eren piped up.

"We buckle, taking our line down?" Eren started. "Things have changed. Maybe not a hell of a lot but enough. They were the mystery they were five years ago. There's still a long way, but we've made progress. Every battle we lost taught us a lesson, gave us the tiniest in road something like hope. Your telling me its better to cut our losses? Let all the _death_ and _destruction_ be _meaningless?! Just to ball it up and accept it?_ Not on your life!"

He tightened his fist. "Humanity's future lies outside the walls! And I'm gonna clear the way!" he continued. "I'm gonna take back what was ours!"

Tears began to appear. " _I'll drive them out_ , and as long as at least one of us can say that! We're not done."

There was no reply from the other cadets as well, they all stayed silent, indicating that they somehow didn't get it. Eren turned away and ran out, sniffles heard from him, indicating he was crying.

" _Eren! Wait!_ " Saoirse called out, in which she ran after him with her book in her hands, and Armin and Mikasa followed them as well.

Jean continued to watch them with a smug look on his face. Janessa turned to Keira and Marco. "I feel bad for him," she admitted. Keira sighed and nodded in agreement.

* * *

Eren was on the stairs, wiping his tears away. Saoirse sat beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, on the bright side at least they didn't know they were cowards," Saoirse attempted to assure.

He didn't reply, and she looked away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's fine," Eren replied.

They turned to see Armin and Mikasa walking towards them at sat down as well. "That was a...quite a speech you gave us there," Armin said.

"Yeah, most of it was yours," Eren replied.

"And mine." Saoirse added as she smiled when the two boys smiled at her.

Armin chuckled. "You too, Saoirse," he said.

"All those stuff you used to say back in the day," Eren continued.

Armin stared at him before turning away. "Yeah well I'm joining the Scout Regiment too!" he said.

Eren's eyes widened at this. "Now your just being stupid, come on!" he protested. He faced Saoirse for defense.

"He's telling the truth, Eren," Saoirse said. "He told me."

Eren faced his buddy again. "Your not a fighter! Your life is with books!" he said.

Armin looked down. "I'm through with letting other people fight for me," he insisted.

Eren looked at his buddy. Sure, Armin was all weak, but he is still willing to fight no matter how pathetic and weak he was even though he was into books. "Guess it's the Scouts for me too, then," Mikasa piped up.

Eren and Saoirse faced her. "Oh come on! Your the top of the class, your wasting your shot!" Eren said.

"I usually agree with you, but I thought the Scouts and fighting titans wasn't your thing," Saoirse joined.

Mikasa stayed calm. "Understand this you two," she started, earning more shocked looks from her brother and best friend. "Where you two go, _I go._ "

"I made a promise to both of your moms before Eren's mother died and you left your mother with your cousin," she continued. "I'm not letting you two die. I've got your backs whether you like it or not. So just deal with it."

Eren turned away and he rubbed his head. "Yeah well mom's not here," he murmured.

"A lot of people I used to care about aren't here either." Mikasa said again.

Eren faced the ground. He knew about Saoirse's dream, but not Mikasa and Armin's. He looked up at the sky, where Armin noticed his glance and looked up as well. The two girls joined in as well, a shooting star caught their attention. They were gonna do it. They have graduated, and now all together, they would team up to free humanity.

* * *

Saoirse couldn't sleep that night. After a number of tossing and turning, she couldn't take it anymore. She eventually got up from her bed and walked outside for some fresh air whilst sitting at the porch. She glanced at the stars above in the dark of the night. They were shining into Saoirse's eyes, which made her smile.

"Hi Dad," Saoirse greeted, eyes focused on the sky. "I finally graduated today. Tomorrow I'll join the Scout Regiment for you, mother and Heather. I know that I didn't go for the top ten like you recommended, but I know your still proud of me. And I am happy to share that I finally found someone to love: Eren. He is the son of Dr. Yeager, and I'm really happy to have him here. I...I really love him dad. I will confess to him someday. I wish he will stay with me forever. And he is exactly like the character in my favorite book...Oh dad...I wish you were still here..."

She hugged her knees and small tears came out from her eyes. "We are forever grateful of your sacrifice. I hope we can see you again."

She wiped them, knowing her dad didn't want to see her cry. She was happy, because if he were still here, he would say how proud he was of his daughter. And she could bring Heather in too. Saoirse heard footsteps from behind her and turned to see Eren standing there. "Can't sleep?" he asked.

"Yeah, figured I could use air for a while," Saoirse said, moving aside and gesturing Eren to sit beside her.

He sat beside her and faced her. "So, what are you staring at?" he asked.

"Over there," Saoirse pointed at the stars.

Eren looked at the stars and quickly grew amazed by the sight of it. "Stars..."

Saoirse sighed and didn't realize the sight made her lean her head onto the crook of Eren's neck. As she immediately realized it, she jumped out of it and the two stared at each other with a very red face.

"S-Sorry Eren!" Saoirse apologized, turning redder by the minute.

"D-Don't apologize! I'm cool with it!" Eren insisted.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

The two stayed silent again for a moment. Saoirse was pondering as well. She realized that she was reliving the romantic moments of her favorite couple from her favorite book, "The Hyacinth Willows."

Saoirse decided to break the silence by clearing her throat. "So, you couldn't sleep either?" she questioned.

Eren rubbed his neck. "Yeah, I guess..." he said.

"I guess we're even."

The two stayed silent for a second. Saoirse pointed at the stars again. "Those are the people who have sacrificed their lives for whom they have loved before they were gone on earth," she said. "Take...those two stars for example."

"Mhm, I see it," Eren said.

"Those must be our mom and dad, they did everything for us because they want us to live happily and freely," Saoirse said.

"Your right," Eren mumbled. "If mom were still here..."

"If dad were still here..."

The two stared at each other in awe, before breaking into laughter. Eren rested his shoulders on his knees. "I forgot to ask but-what happened to your dad anyway?" he asked, even though he was aware of his answer.

Saoirse faced him and looked down, sighing in sadness. Eren widened his eyes. "I-I'm sorry, forget it, I didn't mean to-"

"No, let me," Saoirse raised her hand up, and cleared her throat. "He was more than a father; a brother and best friend. He told me everything about the outside world and the Scout Regiment. My father and mother loved each other so much, they would never leave our side and join in sharing interests in us."

Eren nodded. "Go on," he insisted.

"Telling me about the outside world, the ODM Gear and the Military was the reason why I've became a bookworm," Saoirse admitted.

"I see..." Eren mumbled.

"On the day Wall Maria fell...after the expedition-"

"So you were there to see Moses' mother break down," Eren concluded.

Saoirse broke into laughter, but not for that reason. "Of course! My cousin Heather and I were there to see it!We never miss watching the Scouts go in and outside the walls. Now let me finish."

Eren laughed as well. "Okay," he replied.

Saoirse cleared her throat. "My father...he promised us to take us to the HQ of the Scouts," she said, before sighing where it seemed like she was about to cry again. "...He died before he did so."

Eren lowered his eyes. "I'm really sorry," he said. "He must have been lucky to raise a brave and smart girl like you."

" _Thank you,_ " Saoirse replied quickly. She adjusted her braids to keep Eren from noticing her very red face to the point her face was on the brink of combustion.

Saoirse faced him. "Tomorrow...my dream is about to come true," she said. "Our dream and my father's dream. With the four of us, we'll be able to take what was ours and live in peace and harmony Eren. My father has finally attained his wings of freedom but..he'll protect us."

"Of course Saoirse," Eren said, before gripping on Saoirse's hands tightly. "I-I'll promise to be there and protect you along with your father. A-And Armin and Mikasa too. I'll keep all of you _safe and sound_ , whatever it takes."

Saoirse smiled. "I'm glad to have you, Eren..." she said.

"I'm glad to have you too, Saoirse..." Eren replied.

The brunette yawned. "I'm sleepy again..." she mumbled.

"We're even." Eren said.

Saoirse, who was tired already, she laid her head into the crook of Eren's neck, in which she closed her eyes. Eren couldn't stop the heat from increasing in his face. He was so red, he was worried his whole head is gonna explode, but he got the hang of it and wrapped his arm around Saoirse's body and held her tightly. However, Armin and Mikasa were watching from afar again and the two brown haired teens didn't notice...again.

"Watching them bond together makes me feel really happy," Armin said.

Mikasa nodded in agreement. "It makes me feel happy too," she said. "Don't you have any one you like, Armin?"

The blonde paused and turned red for a moment, rubbing his neck. "I-I..." he stammered.

He wouldn't let out the fact he likes a certain blonde-haired goddess.

* * *

The next day came, and the cadets went to their respective ways. They all gathered around the Trost District for some business with the Garrisons before they head to their designated legion. And it isn't a coincidence the Scouts were out for another expedition, again.

"Heads up! The main unit of the Scout Regiment is back!" A person called out. A blonde, tall man was riding over a gray horse. "That's right, Commander Erwin!"

The quartet was watching. Saoirse leaned over to Mikasa's ear. "That's my dad's friend," she whispered, with her friend nodding.

"Did you give those ugly bastards a refreshing..." they all continued to ask.

"Oh look, it's _Captain Levi!_ " a man said.

He was referring to a short man with a deadpanned look, with black fountain hair, who was beside a brunette woman with glasses and behind a tall man with a mustache. Saoirse's attention attracted to a young girl that looked like she was in the early adult age, possibly between seventeen and twenty one, behind the said captain. She appeared to be shorter than Levi, and had big blue eyes, donning strawberry blonde colored hair with a bang covering her face and another one covering her ear and was tied into a braid. She happened to be staring at Levi, with over-heated pink cheeks that happened to be blush.

"I've heard he's really strong and talented in killing titans!" another civilian commented.

"Tch, spare me please," Levi grunted. The strawberry haired girl bit her lip.

The quartet, along with Hannah and Franz watched the scene. "The feels that everybody is?" Eren said happily. "It's just like the crowd has a different energy now."

"And they seem so happy, like nothing happened," Saoirse added.

Hannah turned to them, in which the quartet turned to her. "Well we are going on five years without incident," she said.

Saoirse winked. "You've got that right, Hannah!" she gave a thumbs up.

"Seems like a good omen." the freckled girl finished.

Her boyfriend Franz smiled. "And you should check out all the cannon upgrades," he piped up. "The site's not low enough to scare them off."

Hannah smiled. "That's the truth!" she replied.

Eren narrowed his eyes at them. "You in denial because your a couple?!" he grumbled. " _What's that about?_ "

Armin giggled while Saoirse shrugged. Hannah and Franz turned red and looked away from each other, covering their blush with their arms. "Woah woah woah this isn't what it looks like, okay?" Hannah denied.

"Knock it off man it's embarrassing!" Franz said.

Saoirse leaned over to Armin's ear. "If these couple were book characters, I'd give it 2/5," she whispered.

"Definitely," Armin replied.

Eren growled. "Hey hey, look at here," a voice said.

They all turned to see a blonde man who was in the Garrison. " _Mr. Hannes!_ " Eren called out.

Saoirse turned to him. "It's good to see you, Mr. Hannes!" she greeted.

Mikasa turned to her. "You know him?" she asked.

"My father's childhood friend," Saoirse answered.

"I see," Armin replied.

Hannes walked in front of the quartet with his friend following by. "Word on the streets here, you all graduated yesterday," he said. "And you've grown up in standards of plummeted."

Eren grinned. "Oh yeah like you wanna talk. The courts keep their new chief and then drink," he replied.

Hannes pricked the boy's head. "Watch it," he teasingly said.

He turned to Saoirse. "And you, little lady," he said. "I remember you. Your Ben's little girl, right?"

Saoirse nodded. "Yep!"

The man ruffled her hair. "Well I must say, your father would be very proud of you," he said.

"Thank you Mr. Hannes," Saoirse said. "I miss him."

"I missed him too," he replied. "Good friend of mine. He may be gone, but he will remain in our hearts."

"True that," Armin said, with Mikasa nodding.

Hannes' face suddenly turned dark. "I'm sorry if this is out of the blue, but I want you to know your mom's death still haunts me," he said.

Eren's eyes widened. Saoirse bit her lip. "Me too, but it wasn't your fault," he said. "We were shooting in the dark then. But nothing like that is gonna happen again. I know what we're dealing with right now."

Hannes blinked and stared at Eren.

* * *

Eren and Saoirse were assigned to work the cannons on top of the wall, along with Connie, Thomas, Samuel, Mina and Sasha, although she had left to do something.

" _What?_ The hell your meaning you would _join_ the _Scouts?!_ " Eren asked in dismay. "What happened to the MP? That was your whole thing!"

"No kidding," Saoirse joined.

"Don't worry about it, the guys will have a lot to change their mind, okay?" Connie replied.

"I think your speech yesterday had fire under him," Mina piped up, walking over to Eren and Saoirse.

"Seriously?" Saoirse asked.

"Yeah," Mina replied.

"Ain't nobody talking to you!" Connie cried out, earning looks from Mina, Saoirse and Eren. "My tantrum has nothing do with it."

"Heh, denial never works depending on what it is," Saoirse said.

"Saoirse, too much logic," Mina replied.

The two girls laughed and high-five each other. "Take it easy," Thomas said, walking over to the scene. "It's not like your the only one."

He rubbed his chin with his finger and blushed a little bit. "What? Are you serious?" Eren asked.

"Okay, is everyone ganging up at the last minute?" Saoirse asked the crowd.

"Can you guys keep a secret?" Sasha's voice interrupted.

They all turned to see Sasha looking mysterious and hungry, while holding something that was hidden inside her jacket. "Cause I totally helped myself with the _officers'_ _pantry_."

The teens gasped at the sight of the stolen meat. "Sasha, _they can throw your butt in the cling for that!_ " Eren protested.

"Are you thinking this through? _Cause it looks like your not guilty at all!_ " Saoirse said.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you?" Samuel asked.

"What isn't wrong with her?" Connie asked.

Sasha couldn't stop drooling from the thought of the food. "It'll be fine...I'm willing to share...oh...can you imagine the sandwiches?" she chuckled, like she was possessed.

Saoirse leaned over to Connie. " _She's lost her marbles_ ," she whispered.

Connie nodded. "True," he replied. "Put it back!"

"Yeah!" Mina joined. "Do you have any idea how rare meat's been since the titans took Wall Maria?"

Saoirse nodded. "Well, with that meat in your hands, you make no difference than a hungry boar," she said. "Look at the famine around here. People are struggling with food and bread, but mostly craving for _meat!_ Don't you realize the work those people do in order to get meat?"

Mina nodded. "I love to say this, but Saoirse's right," she said, crossing her arms.

"Um...little bit, yeah," Sasha answered.

She walked over to the chests, opened it and placed the meat inside. "Just look at it this way," she assured. "Pretty soon, we'll take back all the room we need for livestock."

"Not helping," Saoirse mumbled under her breath.

Samuel sighed deeply. "I would like a slice please!" Samuel said with eyes closed.

"Hey! If she gets one then so do I!" Connie joined in. "Just so you know.

"Me too! I'm in on it too!" Mina gave in.

Eren widened his eyes. "B-But..." he stammered.

"Come on, Eren and Saoirse!" Samuel called for them. "Don't just stand there, seeing us slacking off, go for it."

"You've got us until lunchtime!" Mina chirped and walked away.

"Don't worry Eren, not falling for it," Saoirse assured.

Eren smiled. "Thank you," he said sarcastically.

Saoirse tightened her fist and stared at the town below. _This is it._ Saoirse declared in her head, looking motivated and determined with a smirk. _We are finally gonna take back what was once ours. We were meant to have that freedom since the start of this world. Humanity's gonna win...and the battle starts...now!_

Suddenly, as if on cue, a large thunder and explosion was heard behind. Very heavy steam filled the air immediately. All of the cadets looked at the source and was shocked to find... _the Colossal Titan after five years._ They all froze in fear, as if the world had stopped working, staring at the gruesome sight before them. The head of the Colossal one was looking sinister than ever. Before they could react, a large explosion shook the top of the wall, and a wave of steam pushed the cadets off, sending boulders flying in the air like before.

The steam and smoke had blew them off, sending them to fall and scream for help. This happened once years ago, and now it was happening all over again. " _It's hot!_ " Eren shrieked.

" _Here we go again!_ " Saoirse screeched.

Eren pulled his handgrip from it's place and triggered the wires to shoot towards the wall, stopping him from falling and leaving him hanging. Saoirse continued falling, screaming for help.

" _Saoirse! Switch, now!_ " Eren cried out.

"Got it!" Saoirse said, grabbing hers. She triggered the wires, and the hooks latched on the wall, stopping her from falling as well and leaving her hanging.

The others noticed and triggered the wires to latch on the wall, stopping them from falling as well. They thought they were all safe, until they saw Samuel's unconscious body fall.

" _Samuel!_ " Connie screamed.

Sasha let go of her hook and sprang into action. " _Sasha!_ " Mina yelled.

" _Sasha! What are you_ -" Saoirse shouted before getting interrupted when Sasha triggered the wires and latch onto Samuel's ankle halfway to the ground, saving him from the fall.

" _Try not to move!_ " Sasha yelled, in a state of panic. " _Understand?!_ "

He didn't reply. Eren looked at the ground below and immediately felt sick; _the gate's been broken._

"Oh god!" Thomas shrieked upon seeing it as well.

"Not again...!" Eren mumbled.

"They're gonna get in...they're gonna get in...!" Connie panicked. " _They're gonna get in!_ "

Eren looked at the breached wall and looked up. He was not willing to let history repeat. He let this happen once, he isn't gonna let it happen again. The images of her father's death immediately came back to Saoirse's mind and all the other deaths she had witnessed that day.

" _Son of a-_ " Saoirse cursed. " _This can't be happening again!_ "

"This is it people!" Eren suddenly yelled. The others faced him. "Move! _Do or die! This is our move! Take out the Colossal Titan is our chance! Don't let it slip away!_ "

He drew his blades from the propeller with both of his hand grips and head up to face the Colossal Titan. " _Eren! Where are you going?! Don't go alone!_ " Saoirse shrieked.

"Saoirse! You stay with us!" Sasha instructed. " _We'll take care of Samuel!_ "

Saoirse nodded. _Dammit...why today? I'm suppose to join the Scouts today! Oh God...don't let Eren get hurt!_

Eren jumped in the air and shot his grappling hook towards the ground on top of the wall, twirling like a spinning top and landing on it with his feet. He looked up to the titan, eyes filled with vengeance and rage.

" _Hey you,_ " Eren said, facing the Colossal Titan's face. " _It's been a while_."

* * *

 **Yay! Another chapter done in a day. And I'm happy to share more Saoirse x Eren! OTP! Anyways, I gave a little sneak peek of my third main OC who will appear later when we are introduced to Levi. Please give a fav, follow or review! Thanks for reading! Arriverderci, my fellow readers...Awinx out for now!**


	5. First Battle

Chapter 5: First Battle

 **Hi my fellow Winxers! Chapter 5 is here! I usually take a day for break before moving to the next one, but I was out the whole day yesterday. I have been dreading to post this chapter :I I'm actually happy people are following, reviewing and favouriting this story! Keep it up, because it strengthens my motivation! Enjoy!**

* * *

The Colossal Titan from five years ago have reappeared, which was the result in breaching Trost and causing the cadets on top of the wall to fall, but they managed to save themselves using the maneuver gear. Eren is running towards the Colossal Titan, willing to destroy him because he's the only titan capable of destroying the walls. The other cadets didn't know what was happening, because they were downstairs.

The Colossal Titan noticed him running, and tried to fend him off using his arm to smash the cannons, but Eren jumped in time to avoid it. The boy jumped the wall and targeted his grappling hooks on the neck of the titan to slice his nape and stop him. Eren noticed as he was gliding meters away from the nape, that the titan was targeting the cannons.

He analyzed it closely and it dawned on him that he aimed for the artillery, and it wasn't purely a coincidence that he kicked the wall, which makes to difference to him that the Colossal One was _intelligent._ The titan tried to grab him, but Eren swooped out of the way and he targeted his grappling hooks at the wrist to make it easier to get to the nape.

Once he landed on the wrist, he began running towards his target. As he reached it's end, he jumped off and shot his hook into the nape. He swayed back and forth because the smoke was blocking him from doing so. "Dammit!" Eren shrieked.

He finally found the nape, and he glided towards it. Seven meters. Six. Five. Four, Three...two...he was almost there. He's gonna finish him off.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the Colossal Titan released a heavy wave of steam outside of the nape, preventing Eren to slice it's nape. Eren, not wanting to give up, he attempted to get closer to the nape, and he tried to slice it, but the smoke cleared out and it occurred that he didn't slice anything. The Colossal Titan had vanished. He looked in shock, wondering how did he miss. He soon realized he was falling and he quickly shot his hook on top of the wall and left him hanging, as he kept dazing on how did it escape.

He glanced at the gate, which was breached and there was smoke everywhere, with two very big footprints in front of it. Suddenly, Thomas appeared on top of the wall and looked down. "Eren! Where'd he go?" he asked. "Did you get him? Did you take him out?"

Eren faced him. "He's gone!" he answered, glancing back at the breached gate. "Just like five years ago! He's here one moment, and gone the next! Just like that!"

Eren eventually landed on top of the wall with Connie and Thomas. "Sorry, I-" Eren apologized.

"Don't apologize, look at us," Thomas assured. "We were too scared to move."

Connie faced him. "Hey! Wallow on your own time," he said. "In case you haven't noticed, there's a breach. We have to act now! If they start pouring in, then that's it!"

They heard maneuver shifting and turned to see a Garrison soldier approach them. "Cadets!" he instructed. "Operation Colossal Titan Response is in effect, I expect you to take part! Report to HQ."

The three boys saluted. "If you got close to the damn thing, we need details," he continued.

"Sir!" Eren responded.

"Sir! We will follow the instructions!" Connie replied.

Thomas and Connie ran off and maneuvered their way down. "Eren? Where are you?" he heard a girl's voice approach him.

He turned to see Saoirse, who was walking around looking for him, clutching her arm. The boy immediately ran to her. "Eren! Your alright, thank God," she said. "What happened?"

Eren rubbed his forehead. "Dammit, the Colossal Titan vanished before I could finish him off," he explained.

Saoirse lowered her eyes. "Terrific," she mumbled sarcastically before wincing.

Eren noticed her pain. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, I just-"

"Don't you _dare_ give me that answer, Saoirse," Eren said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "If there's something wrong, I know it."

Saoirse continued to clutch on her arm, and she winced harder. Eren grabbed her wrist, which made her blush slightly. He unfolded the sleeve of her jacket and saw a burnt mark on it.

"The steam of the Colossal Titan was very hot, it burnt me when it blew us off the wall," Saoirse explained, trying to fight the redness in her face. "I-It hurts, Eren."

The teal eyed boy continued to hold on it while he was walking, which made Saoirse walk with him. Eren faced her. "You need some help," he said. "That burnt mark looks pretty bad."

Saoirse bit her lip. "This is why I hate hot stuff," she grumbled. "But it's not really that bad Eren-"

"Nuh-uh, don't give me that," Eren said. "I'm gonna treat your wound, whether you like it or not, now come on."

"Why are you doing this for me?" Saoirse asked. "I can take care of myself, thank you."

Eren stopped walking and faced her. "Because I care about you as much as you care about me," he said. "If you were hurt, I would never forgive myself. Like I said, I promise to protect you and Armin and Mikasa too."

Saoirse brushed her bangs of her face. "Eren..." she started.

Eren grabbed her wrist again and walked to find a first aid. "Now come on, let's go treat that wound," he instructed.

* * *

Eren gently wrapped the cloth around Saoirse's wrist, which he didn't notice her face. Saoirse' face right now seemed to be compared to a cherry. She couldn't stop blushing because of this contact, and that his hand was smooth and caressing. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach and her heart beating rapidly, it can be heard.

"All done," Eren said, letting go of her wrist. Saoirse glanced at it and she smiled.

"Th-Thank you Eren...I-I don't know what to say..." Saoirse stammered.

"You don't have to say anything," Eren assured. "As long as your safe, I'm cool."

Saoirse's heart beat rapidly again. Her crush, he cared so much about her. Suddenly, a Garrison soldier approached them. "There's no time for romantic moments here," he instructed. "Report to HQ now lovebirds."

Hearing lovebirds instantly triggered Eren and Saoirse's faces to turn red and turn away in embarrassment. "I-It's not what it looks like!" Saoirse denied, rubbing her arm.

Eren rubbed his neck. "D-Don't jump to conclusions," he denied too.

The soldier rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Report to HQ." he instructed firmly.

The two saluted. "Yes, sir!"

* * *

The bell rang fast, signaling the evacuation. Many civilians ran fast as they could to avoid getting seen by titans even though they haven't appeared yet. Some brought heavy stuff, but the Garrisons make sure that they are safe, because their job is to protect the people from the titans. Amongst the houses, Charlotte and Heather were cuddling each other before they could leave.

"Aunty Charlotte...where's Saoirse?" Heather asked.

The young woman glanced at her. "Don't you worry Heather," she assured. "She and her friends will protect us. Now, we have to leave."

Heather suddenly tugged on her. "I forgot my dolly!" she said.

"Then go get it!" Charlotte gestured.

Heather ran inside the house and immediately ran upstairs and into her room to find her doll. She found it on the bed, and before she could exit, something caught her in the corner of her eye. She turned to see a photograph of her, Saoirse, her aunt and her deceased uncle. She walked to it, and she stared at her cousin's photo, who was smiling.

"Be careful, Saoirse..." she muttered, before going to the door. She stopped, and ran back to the picture and removed it from the wall, bringing it with her for remembrance. She ran back downstairs, and into the outside where her aunt is waiting.

"Come on Heather," she said, gesturing her to grab on her arm. "Let's go."

The girl linked hands with her aunt and began to walk with her. She turned around to see her house one last time, before entering the crowd of people. She didn't notice her aunt's face, which was a somber expression.

 _God...please protect my daughter!_

* * *

The sound of cannons was heard. The Garrison soldiers continued to distract the titans to buy the Trainees and the civilians time to escape and be given instructions to fight the titans. As the titans were distracted, the Garrison soldiers leaped of the wall and into the territory to kill them off.

"Time to put your training to work!" A soldier instructed. "I have faith! Each of you credit to your regiment!"

The cadets continued to run around and prepare their gear whilst assuring their friends of safety. Mikasa was walking around, looking for her friends and brother when she saw Franz, his hands on Hannah's shoulder. "I promise we'll get through this," he assured his girlfriend.

Hannah looked at him. "Your safe as long as I'm beside you." Franz continued to assure.

"Franz..." Hannah muttered, before pressing her head into his chest. Mikasa eventually ran from the scene and found her friends and her brother sitting with each other whilst Armin was adjusting his gas tank for his gear. However, the way Armin was adjusting was shaky, indicating he is scared.

"Armin! What's wrong?" Eren asked.

"You look so frightened," Saoirse said.

"I-Don't worry I'm fine..." Armin stammered. "Just give me a minute for my nerves to settle." he was sweating profusely.

Mikasa approached them from the back, but she stayed silent because she didn't want to ruin the moment. "This is bad, isn't it?" Armin said. "There's a whole hole in the wall eight meters wide, we don't have the slightest idea of how to plug it. That huge boulder near the front gate was our best bet, but we couldn't figure out how to hoist it in place!"

His movements became shakier and shakier. "Unless we seal the the breach, the titan race is gonna _stand!_ How long do you think before they took Wall Rose? Seriously, _how long?!_ " Armin continued to panic. "Think about it, _the titans will consume the human race after all!_ "

Eren placed his hand on Armin's. "Armin!" he called out.

The blonde boy snapped out of it. "Listen to me, your focused on the past, look ahead!" Eren assured. "We're not gonna be the victims anymore!"

"Pull yourself together," Saoirse assured. "We can do this! Just don't think about it, kay?"

"S-Sorry, I-I'm okay...," Armin mumbled.

* * *

The titans had already gone in. The Garrison soldiers which was supposed to take them out got killed, so there was no time to hesitate. Meanwhile in the interior, the monarchs were playing chess, unaware of the situation outside.

"Oh now, take this seriously," one said to his friend. "Very well, yet another victory is mine."

"Dear oh dear, one would think of our monthly roles of our modest and improvement and approach to the game." he finished.

The head of the Garrison regiment, Dot Pixis was playing with him. He was very old, and he had a mustache. "One would think so, yeah," he placed his hand on his bald head. "Clearly my brain is superior to yours, Lord Wald."

The Lord was sipping from his cup. He laughed at this. He pushed his treats aside. "Such obesity, from the single ranking highest officers, in the southern territory," he said popping one treat into his mouth. "Tell me, seriously, how can you thwart to-"

Dot's assistants were standing by him. He heard running form outside the room. "Commander Pixis! I bring news!" a soldier called out.

He stood before them looking very nervous. "I beg your pardon, young man," Dot said.

"The Colossal Titan has breached the city of Trost!" he reported.

His assistants, Anka and Gustav, their eyes widened. "Reports saying the gate has been destroyed!" he finished.

The Lord dropped his glass, smashing it into pieces. He couldn't speak. Dot grabbed his bottle of booze and drank from it. "This vintage is worthy of your good taste," Dot said. "One man of action to another, I sincerely accept it as a gift."

He stood up and walked away. "Where are you going, Pixis wait!" Wald called out. "You can't march off! I command you to stay! Preparations must be made!"

"Establish your troops this instant!" Wald ran towards him. "Damn it all, each of you have sworn you needed to defend us!"

Dot stopped, and he stopped too. The Commander faced him. "Lord Wald, sir," he said. "Just tone our numbers of our great comrades are laying down their lives for Trost as we speak."

Anka approached them. "Commander, I'll go ready the horses, sir," she said, walking away.

"When the dust has settled, there will be more graves of people to take them," Dot said. "An astronomical number of lives snuffed out in the weaklings."

Wald scrunched his face. "Yes well...for if it's their-if it's their time, besides what earthly goods can a man persistently loses his chance to now? Why I can't I assist you?"

Gustav faced him. "Lord, if I may speak freely, should the Commander actually face the titans in battle," he said. "We won't feel compelled to play down his skill as he does with you."

Wald gasped. He growled at Pixis. "That's enough, soldier," he said, facing back at his friend. "Good day, sir. I wish you another appointed day of sloth than tranquility."

Dot walked away along with his assistant. "Please don't go!" Wald pleaded. "Don't do this to me! Pixis please I beg of you!"

No reply. " _PIXIS!_ "

* * *

"Alright everyone is split into four squadrants as practiced!" A Garrison instructed the cadets. "All squadrants are responsible for safety and enemy combat! The indecisive squadrant will be taking the vanguard! Cadets will be taking the middle guard, led by a supports squad! Rearguard will go to the elites! I expect you to man in your post, knowing the advanced team has been wiped out!"

The cadets gasped at this. The advanced team was completely skilled, but they never expected them to be killed easily. "That's right! Another gate is history!" he continued. "The titans are in! This means, the Armored Titan is likely to reappear! If and when he does, the inner gate will also be history!"

The cadets grew frightened. "Is this real?" Daz asked.

"It can't be a dream," Thomas said.

"Damn, what if the bastards manage to bust through wall rose?" Mylius said.

"This is terrible," Keira murmured.

" _Quiet!_ " the Garrison soldier shouted. "Right! Those are the vanguard, be ready! The whole area is well not nice for dreaming! Here's step one: Defend the wall until the evacuation is done! Now, be aware all of you all of you who slack off will be punishable by execution! If it comes to it, lay down your lives! Dismissed!"

The cadets saluted. "Sir!" they all shouted in unison.

As they finished it, they began running to different places at once, either to assign to their posts or just stay in the corner and panic. Janessa stood in her place with Bertolt, Keira, Marco, Jean and some other soldiers, like Daz, who was busy throwing up, with Krista there to comfort him.

"This is just great," Janessa complained. "First Shinganshina, then this. What next?"

Bertolt faced her. "Don't expect the worst," he mumbled.

Janessa sighed in stress and placed her hands on her hips, looking around. "I guess your right." she said.

"Why does this have to happen now?" Jean asked, hands on his face in frustration. "Just one more day and I have been heading into the interior."

Janessa placed her hand on his shoulder. "It'll just have to wait, you'll get through this," she assured.

They heard Daz puke, and they all faced him, bending down and his eaten food escaping from his mouth to the ground. Krista rubbed his back. "Your gonna be alright?" she asked, concerned.

Daz began to straighten up, only to bend down and vomit once more. Jean, not wanting enough of this, he walked away.

"He'll be assured in a bit, don't worry," Janessa said.

Keira placed both of her hands on her face, looking like she was about to cry. "This can't be happening..." her voice was shaky. "Those poor souls."

Marco faced her. "Wh-What the titans barge in now or- _they could come any minute now!_ " she hyperventilated, her words becoming quick little gasps. "They're unstoppable-they _kill_ people _instantly!_ _What if we all don't survive this?_ - _I don't want to die!_ I-I want to-"

Marco placed his hands on both of her shoulders. "Keira, calm down," he assured. "We won't die here. We just have to be careful, that's all. I'll protect you, we'll protect each other. It's okay."

Keira was calm and friendly, but sometimes she hyperventilates when she needed to. She faced him. "Thanks Marco." she said sincerely.

"Hey, I care about you," Marco replied, gripping her hand tightly.

Janessa felt gushy watching the scene. Of course, her and Jean were the only ones who knew of Keira's crush on Marco.

"I'm gonna find Saoirse," Janessa said, walking away.

"Say hi to her for me," Keira said.

The redhead nodded and began searching all over the place for her friend. She eventually found her on the other side of the courtyard, slumping against the pillar. She looked somber, which made Janessa worry. She slowly approached her friend. By the time she reached Saoirse, the latter looked up to see her friend.

"Hey," Janessa greeted, with a worried expression. "You look panicked; you okay?"

Saoirse turned red in embarrassment and rubbed her head. "I'm sorry Janessa, if my look troubled you," she said. "I just can't believe it's happening again."

"That's because it's the stupid Colossal Titan's fault," Janessa said. "Girl, straigthen up! What happened to the strong and brave friend I know? Did she get replaced by fear! Woman up, bookgirl!"

Saoirse faced her. "We all adore you, your smartness and your abilities- your a natural!" Janessa motivated. "You can do this! The Saoirse I know is brave and she can kick titans' ass!"

Saoirse smiled. "Thanks for the motivation," she said, although the fear of losing someone again remained.

They heard footsteps and turned to see a Garrison soldier with brown hair up to the nape. "Girls, I am Ian Dietrich," he introduced himself. "Hillman, you have been assigned to the rear guard along with _Ackerman_."

Saoirse's hair stood on the other end. " _What?_ But sir, I'm not one of the top ten!" she insisted.

"We need a good strategist and we found out you share your statistics with Ackerman," he said. "That's an order."

Saoirse didn't have a choice but to salute. "Yes, sir!" she answered.

Ian faced Janessa. "And you Freud, I'll assign you with Kirstein, Bott, Beringer, Springer and more others to come."

The girl saluted. "Sir!" she answered.

Ian glanced at them and walked away slowly. Saoirse faced her friend. "I guess we're both of different squads, eh?" she said.

"Yeah, but your lucky to be in the rearguard!" Janessa said. "The soldiers in that squadrant has got the skills!"

Saoirse shrugged. "Probably a good choice for me," she said. "I'm gonna look for Eren."

She walked away when Janessa stopped her. "Why? Because you want to share a kissy kissy moment with him?" she teased, making kissing faces.

Saoirse turned bright red and pushed the redhead away. "H-Hey!" she cried out. "This isn't the best time to play tease with me! We've got to focus on the operation right now."

"You're right," Janessa said. "Be careful, okay? If you die, I would smash my head into a glass window."

"Don't do that," Saoirse replied. "Take care! And stay safe with your beloved Jean~"

"Shut up!" Janessa said, Saoirse noticing the back of her neck red. "Stay safe!"

Saoirse chuckled. She loved teasing her best friend. She then walked to the other side of the courtyard to look for Eren. She glanced at the bandage he had wrapped, and she smiled. She must return Eren's favor. She looked up to see Eren talking with Mikasa, and she quickly ducked behind a nearby pillar to avoid being seen. She raised her head up for her to hear.

"Look, this is gonna get ugly and when it does, the plan goes out the window," she heard Mikasa said. "Come and find me so I can protect you."

Saoirse decided to peek her head a little bit so she can hear and see. "Who the _hell_ do you _think you are?_ " Eren argued.

She heard footsteps and she saw Ian standing before them, the one that told Saoirse she's in the rearguard. "Ackerman, you're with me," Ian instructed, using the same tone he used to tell Saoirse. "You've been assigned to the rearguard on special orders, let's get moving."

Saoirse noticed he didn't mention her last name. "But sir, I-I'm a cadet! I'll slow everyone down!" Mikasa refused.

Eren faced her. " _What?_ " Eren asked in disbelief.

" _Huh?_ " Saoirse whispered under her breath. _Since when does Mikasa refuse a special order?_

"Your not being asked for a self-evaluation here," Ian said. "The district is falling apart. We need as many elite soldiers as possible to get things back on track."

He turned his back and walked away. Mikasa began to run towards him for consideration. "But sir! _With all do respect I-_ "

" _Hey!_ " Eren stepped in and headbutted her. Saoirse winced. Mikasa held her forehead in pain. "You've been given a direct order. Pull it together, _now!_ "

Saoirse wanted to slap her palm against her forehead, but it would produce sound and her friend and crush would notice. "This is bigger than the two of us, and you know it! We're on the verge of extinction here, _have some damn perspective!_ " Eren yelled.

Mikasa stared at him and she looked down. "You're right, I'm sorry, this whole situation has me out of my head," she apologized sincerely.

Eren began to walk away when his sister grabbed his wrist. "Just promise; promise me one thing," Mikasa murmured, with Eren facing her. "Whatever happens, _don't get yourself killed._ "

Saoirse's eyes widened at this. Eren glared at her and pulled his wrist off violently from his sister's hand, walking away. Saoirse ducked in behind the pillar and sighed in stress. The situation is getting intense by the minute. Mikasa stood there, and she walked away. Using this chance, Saoirse immediately ran out of the pillar and she ran towards her crush.

"Eren!" Saoirse called out to him.

The boy turned around to see her there. "Saoirse, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just..." Saoirse stammered. "What squad are you in?"

Eren scoffed. "The Middle Guard, Mikasa's crazy if she thinks she can escape hers to go protect me," he said.

Saoirse wanted to bring up the topic about her watching the scene, but they would think of her as crazy. She looked down. "Oh...I guess we can't see each other," she muttered.

"Hm?" Eren noticed her uneasiness. "You're...you're in Mikasa's squad, aren't you?"

"That's right," Saoirse replied. "We... _we have to go._ "

Eren lowered his eyes in worry, knowing what Saoirse said is right. He began to walk away when Saoirse grabbed his wrist. "Eren...," Saoirse said quietly, and she stared into his teal eyes.

They were silent for a moment before Saoirse abrubtly wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into the crook of his neck. "Please...be careful... _alright_..?" Saoirse said.

Eren's face was heating up rapidly like a furnace. He bit his lip and embraced her back. "I'll be careful," Eren assured, rubbing her hair. " _Take care._ "

Saoirse let go and began to walk away. Soon, she was meters away from him and looked back one last time to see Eren walking away before turning around to go to the Middle Guard.

What she didn't know was that this was gonna be her last time seeing Eren.

* * *

Saoirse dazed at the houses down there. She and her squad were on the roof to make sure it's safe before roaming around with their gear. She couldn't stop worrying about Eren, because the last time a breach happened, she lost someone. She couldn't hear her squadmates, including Mikasa, talking. All she ever worried about was _Eren._

She glanced at the sky above as a memory of her learning came back.

* * *

 _"Almost everything about them is obscure, not that isn't just being ignorant. Thanks to the efforts of the Scout Regiment, we do know something of their statistics." The bespectacled instructor read._

 _Saoirse, Mikasa, Eren, Armin and the other cadets continued to listen, full of curiosity. Saoirse couldn't stop putting down her book. Mikasa placed her hand on her friend's hand. "Stop reading, it's class time," Mikasa said._

 _Saoirse faced her. "Mikasa, this is a book about the ODM Gear," she corrected. "He said we're gonna learn about it's mechanics today._

 _Eren chuckled. "You never stop reading," he said._

 _"Where the titan possesses human like intelligence is up for to bait of course, and to date there have been reports of high-level communication between them," the instructor continued. "We do know that titans' analogy is fundamentaling different than the most of the organic lives. Like their reproductive organs, unclear of how they reproduce. Apart from this to all appearances, their physic resembles the average human male."_

 _"We also know their body temperatures run quite high," the instructor said. "And baffling how it is, their appetite seems ear exclusively towards human beings. In fact, a titan's principle seems to be it's appetite. Given the subsequent over a century without access to their only source of nourishment, however. We summarize that these creatures do not affect or consume to live, let that sink in; titans aren't motivated by hunger and such, they're simply in it for the kill._

 _"A terrifying validity of these creatures is that beyond scientific dispute, we only consider revenge of the recent past and see this," the instructor told them. "Mankind has long possessed cannon technology if you're aware. They blast them. Even with their heads blown to bits, there is some ability in their score that the titans regenerate in two minutes."_

 _"Is that true?" Thomas asked._

 _"Their eyes must have been frightening," Franz replied._

 _Marco raised his arm up. "Excuse me sir, are you basically saying the titans are immortal?" he asked._

 _The bespectacled instructor drew a back of the titan. "No, they're not," he said. He turned to the class with his chalk pointing at the illustration. "There is in fact one way to ensure death. Yes Hillman?"_

 _Saoirse raised her arm and she put it down as he noticed her. "According to some research in books, I've read that the means of killing the titans is simply slicing the occipital region, which in other terms is the nape of the neck," she answered._

 _The entire class gasped at her answer. "That is absolutely correct," the instructor said. "Very good, Hillman."_

 _He turned towards the blackboard. "Like Hillman said, strike here," he said, illustrating a circle on the nape. "If the back of their neck takes adequate damage, the titan will not regenerate, this is the take using armor and steel."_

 _Saoirse glanced at the swords on the table and raised her hand up. "Sir!" she called again._

 _The instructor turned to her. "Anything to say, Hillman?" he said._

 _"Like you said, strike the occipital region and it doesn't regenerate, but it dies," Saoirse started. "Gathering information I have learned, the efficacious means of combat against those creatures is mastering the Omni-Directional Maneuver Gear."_

 _"Absolutely correct," the instructor said and turned back to the blackboard._

 _Mina whispered to her seatmate. "Say, Saoirse's real smart at this," she said. "I like her."_

 _"How does she know about those stuff? She's good!"_

 _"You idiot, she's a bookworm! Books can give knowledge, in case you haven't noticed. Besides, she's awesome."_

 _"Class, class, settle down," the instructor said, still illustrating on the nape._

 _Eren turned to Saoirse. "How do you know this stuff?" he asked._

 _Saoirse winked. "Reading is what it takes when you're a bookworm," she said sweetly._

 _"Gathering Hillman's answers, these are worth the steel swords, demonstrated here on this table," he said, continuing to illustrate. "A good deep strike with one of these to a titan's weak spot, and the monster is left with no time to regenerate."_

 _The class glanced at the steel swords on the table whilst the instructor is finishing his illustration. He slanted a line onto the illustration before turning to the class. "They die and stay dead."_

 _The illustration he drew was the sliced nape, decorated with lines for the shading. The class gasped at this. Perhaps they could finally defeat them using the information it gathered._

* * *

"Hillman! Hillman! Answer me!" the leader called out to the dazing girl. " _Hillman!_ "

Saoirse snapped out of it and she faced her leader. "I'm so sorry, Squad Leader Ian, I didn't mean to daze out," she said.

Ian glared at her. "That's not an excuse," he grumbled, walking away. "Let's move!"

Mikasa approached her friend and looked at her in the eye. "Saoirse, stop worrying and try to keep yourself together," she assured. "Remember, this is a real operation; you have to stay focused otherwise you'll end up becoming titan chow."

Saoirse sighed. "I guess you're right," she mumbled.

"I know you are troubled, because that face explains it," Mikasa said.

Saoirse sighed again. She isn't good at hiding emotions. "I'm sorry Mikasa I-I'm just stressed, mostly because I'm worried about Eren," she said.

"What's with Eren that you worry about?" Mikasa asked.

"What if he dies? _What if I'll never see him again?_ " Saoirse began to panic. "I'll never get the chance to confess my love to him! Even worse, _I can never love_ _again_..."

The brunette buried her head into her hands. Mikasa placed her arm on her friend's hands and pulled them away from her face. "Stay calm," Mikasa assured. "We will see him after this whole thing is over. We made a promise to protect each other, and I'm not breaking that promise. I'm here for you, and I'm worried about Eren too, but don't let it get in the way in a time like this. This is a real operation, unlike those practices when we were in Trainee Boot Camp. Eren's gonna be fine, so don't think ahead negatively and try to stay positive. I'm saying this because you're my best friend, and I care about you as much as I care about Armin and Eren, so pull yourself together."

Saoirse's eyes widened at her speech. "Thanks Mikasa," she said. "I'm lucky to have a friend like you."

Mikasa placed her hand on Saoirse's shoulder. "I would never forgive myself if your mother is crying about your death, now let's go."

Saoirse nodded. Mikasa ran towards the end of the roof and jumped off, shooting her grappling hooks and flying away. Saoirse looked back before she ran to the edge, jumped off and flew away as well, her worries still carrying with her after that speech her best friend gave.

 _God...Eren, please be alive!_

* * *

Armin couldn't move, or breathe. He stood there, watching his squadmates get eaten in front of him, with a shocked look on his face. He glanced back at Eren, who was lying on another roof, all bloody and his leg bitten off. Armin was so consumed by fear, it froze him on the spot, as if his body stopped working and he couldn't move.

He saw Mina's head get chomped off, Mylius getting torn apart. He froze as the memories of his fine squad before this dreaded moment cam back to him.

* * *

 _"Squad 34! Move out!" the Garrison soldier called out. "The Vanguard needs support!"_

 _Eren faced his squad consisting of Armin, Thomas, Mina, Mylius Zeramuski and Nac Tius. "Right! Let's give them hell!"_

 _"Yeah!" they all screamed, raising their swords up._

 _They jumped off the roof and began to fly. The battle has began. As they sped faster and faster, they noticed hundreds of titans surrounding the district, smoke everywhere and destruction in every corner._

 _"There so many of them!" Mina shrieked out._

 _"The Vanguard's been completely overwhelmed!" Thomas said._

 _"I don't believe this!" Mylius said. "Those guys always fight so big!"_

 _Eren noticed the situation in front of them right now. He realized that the titans were pouring in faster than expected. As the squad flew faster, they saw a titan jump towards them. "We've got an abnormal!" Eren yelled._

 _The squad pulled back and they landed behind the tower, which ended up making the Abnormal one miss, hitting the tower instead. The team panted and gasped, thankful they just have survived that, with Eren hanging on the roof. Suddenly, the Abnormal Titan took off itself off the tower and it was revealed that Thomas was inside the mouth, up to his stomach._

 _"Oh...oh my god..." he spoke his last words. "...please...help me..."_

 _The other team stared in complete shock. The titan raised its head up and gobbled Thomas. The squad couldn't move. Time has passed, and they had lost another member quickly than a cat prancing a mouse. Eren stared in shock for a moment, before yelling out, "YOU BASTARD!"_

 _He leaped of the ledge, and shot his grappling hooks at the tower, flying towards the Abnormal, which was walking away. He was determined not to let his friend die in vain._

 _"Eren!" Armin yelled._

 _"Wait! Stay with the group!" Nac screeched._

 _Armin ran towards the ledge and jumped off. Mina, Mylius and Nac soon followed and they followed Armin and Eren. The teal-eyed boy was overwhelmed by revenge, he was moving swiftly and fast, making it impossible to catch up to him. "Get back here!" Eren screamed. "You're gonna pay for killing my friend! No more gaming around! YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!"_

 _He was about to raise his swords, when he didn't notice another titan below him, raising his head up and chomping off his foot. Eren jumped, skidding across the roofs on his chest and landing on another one, stopping abruptly. His leg was chopped off, and his eyes are all bloody from the skidding. They were experiencing a bloodbath._

 _Armin landed on a roof across the roof Eren's on. "EREN!" he screamed._

 _"Oh God, NO!" Mina shouted._

 _Another titan grabbed Mylius, leaving Mina all alone. She turned to see her friend, in which she didn't see a big-eyed titan push it's hand on the wires, making the girl get pulled back and slamming her back against a wall. The impact made her nearly unconscious, which she snapped out in time only to find the titan staring at her, knowing she's done other titan grabbed Nac as well, leaving Armin the only survivor, with Eren's chances of living very low._

* * *

"NO! PLEASE STOP! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Nac pleaded, struggling to get off the titan's hand.

Armin grew more frightened by the minute. It was a total bloodshed in front of him. Nac was getting eaten as well. He kneeled on the roof, unable to move.

 _Why..why...? My friends are being devoured and all I could do is watch..._

He heard loud stomping and he saw a bearded titan standing before him, with a very big belly. Now it's his turn to die. He couldn't move in time to escape the titan. _What's wrong with me? Why can't I move?_ It grabbed Armin, holding him over it's mouth and dropping him, Armin sliding down the tongue, screaming for help. He is finished. This is how he's going to die. Suddenly, as if on cue, he felt a hand grab his wrist and he saw Eren holding him, and Eren, using the strength he could muster, he swiftly pulled Armin back outside, making his friend land hard from the impact.

Armin turned to see Eren inside the jaw of the titan, pushing the mouth aside to prevent from getting eaten.

" _Eren!_ " Armin yelled.

"I...refuse to die like this...understand...?" Eren mumbled. "Armin listen...we're still going to the outside world..." he reached his arm outside the titan's mouth. "...the things you told me about...I'll see them...I'll know how to..."

Armin stared at his friend, tears in his eyes. Not wanting to waste anytime, he reached towards Eren's arm to pull him out. "EREN! NOO-"

Before he could do so, the Bearded Titan's mouth closed, chopping off Eren's arm, blood squirting out. Violent wind grew from the impact, blowing Armin. He stared in shock. It felt sick. He felt sick. As if the world stopped completely. The Bearded Titan swallowed Eren, completely finishing him off.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGHH! UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!" Armin screamed very loudly, the titans could have heard him.

There was no doubt about it; The person that Armin has cared about for years was gone in front of his very eyes.

* * *

Mikasa and Saoirse walked with Ian Dietrich in the vanguard. Suddenly, Mikasa whipped her hair and turned around, with a worried look on her face. Her senses were tingling. She looked panicked.

Saoirse noticed her friend's uneasiness. She stopped walking and she faced Mikasa. "Mikasa...what's wrong?" she asked.

She suddenly recognized the uncomfortable look and faced where her friend was facing. Something was wrong, _very very wrong_. She turned pale quickly.

" _Oh no_ ," Saoirse whispered.

* * *

 **Sorry! But got to end that here, hope the cliffhanger didn't leave you, hanging! I'm really bad at puns. You can already imagine Saoirse's face when she finds out Eren is "dead". Hope you enjoyed this gruesome chapter, even though I hated writing the part when Eren "died" Sign out, for now!**


	6. The World The Girl Saw

Chapter 6: The World The Girl Saw

 **Hi, my fellow Winxers! Here's one of the other episodes I've been dreading to post. I'm enjoying writing this story so far, and I know you guys will know what happens since you've already watched the episodes but you'll never know what happens to my OCs. Updating frequently and I spend hours writing the whole chapter depending on how type I fast, I accomplish them in one day. I have to continue Ghibli Fairies and Junior High though, I've left those fanfics hanging :I**

 **Anyhow, here's a little trivia about my OCs' personalities (If you want to skip to the story, go ahead)**

 **Saoirse is actually based from Bloom from Winx Club, in which those two have a heart of gold, hot-headed and they are strong and brave. Twilight Sparkle from MLP and Sam from Totally Spies were the inspirations of Saoirse's hobby of being a bookworm. I don't know why, but I like the idea of Saoirse being a bookworm.**

 **For Janessa aka Redhead, she is actually a combination of Pinkie Pie and Irma from W.I.T.C.H if you noticed their optimistic and loud behavior. A little thing I forgot to mention is that she's vulnerable and she actually loves music, like Musa from Winx Club.**

 **For Keira, her appearance was based on Marnie from the Ghibli film When Marnie Was There, because the final draft I made is that her ethnicity is Victorian-Norwegian. Her personality is based on Petra (Not copying), and she is a little shy, but she's caring and compassionate.**

 **And for the third main one which name I'm not gonna reveal until you see her, she is actually based on Fluttershy from MLP, because both of them are very shy but they are loving, caring and they love animals. Flora is also the inspiration, considering their extreme kindness and gentleness, and the part where they get violent when they are angered or raged, which will lead to another one of her inspirations is Nausicaa from Miyazaki's second film and the first film of Ghibli. Both are caring, they have a big heart and they have similarities with one of Flora's motives.**

 **I'm sorry if I added it, but I just want to share some info with you before you start this chapter. I'm sad that we still have to wait for season two uwu**

* * *

" _Wake up! Armin! Hey! Can you hear me?!_ " a voice called out to an unconscious blonde boy found on the roof. Armin was still groggy, but he managed to open his eyes and his vision was a little blurry, but when it cleared, Connie was in front of him, shaking the boy.

"Connie, is he alright there?" Armin recognized the voice of Janessa, who was standing behind his friend with Ymir and Krista.

"I'm trying to wake him up!" Connie answered. He shook him harder. "Come on! Snap out of it! I need you to talk to me! Say something!"

Armin blinked for a moment before realizing what's going on. "There you are, you're with me now?" Connie asked.

Janessa faced the two boys. "Oh thank God," she mumbled in relief.

Connie stared at him. "What's going on?" he asked, noticing Armin all alone. "Where's your squad?"

"Did they leave you here?" Janessa asked. "If they did, I'll just scold at them for leaving you until their eardrums hurt."

Connie turned to her and glared. "That's not funny, Janessa!" he argued, before facing back to Armin.

"Squad...?" Armin managed to say.

"Alright let's get you on your feet," Connie said. "You shouldn't be out here alone."

He had his hand on Armin's shoulder, and it felt wet and slimy. He raised his hand and looked at it to see what it was. "What the hell got over you? You look so damn slimy," he said.

Janessa walked over and investigated Armin. Her eyes widened. "Woah, dude, what the hell happened here?" she ask. "You look...slimy."

Armin stared at Connie for a minute, realizing what he was saying sounded awfully familiar. Connie noticed Armin's uneasiness. "What happened?" he asked again.

Armin suddenly gasped and his eyes grew bigger than saucers, when it all came back to him. The images of his eaten squadmates had reentered his mind, playing them all to where he last saw Eren's arm chewed off and swallowed down the Bearded Titan's throat. He placed his hands on his hair and pulled them violently while shrieking hysterically.

Connei jumped back at this sudden impact. " _You're worthless!"_ he screeched. " _Why can't you just die?!_ "

"Hey! You need to pull yourself together!" Connie said.

"Woah woah woah! Calm down, Armin! What the hell's going on with you?!" Janessa said.

Armin's tears spilled down. " _Damn you!_ " he yelled.

"Where is everyone?!" Connie questioned.

Janessa raised her head and scanned the area around them. "From the looks of it, I don't think your question's gonna be answered," she mumbled.

"Now that I think about it, you're right," Connie replied.

"Let it go, Connie and Janessa," Ymir called out. The two faced her, who was standing on the top of the roof, investigating the situation. "This is it. The rest of them are dead."

Janessa turned red. " _How can you be so sure?! You weren't even there to see it for yourself, woman!_ " she shrieked.

" _Dammit don't talk like that!_ " Connie cried out. "We can't assume he's the only one alive!"

Ymir faced them. "Take a look around you, isn't it obvious?" she continued. "We can't waste any more time with him. We gotta move on."

" _Are you crazy?!_ " Janessa shouted. "We can't just leave him here!"

"Come on, you're not making any sense," Connie said. "Why would the titans ignore him?"

"I don't know, maybe they thought he was already dead or something," Ymir said. "When you get right down to it, that's the real tragedy here. Eren and the others bust their asses and the one last standing is _him._ "

Armin didn't reply. He just stared at the ground, tears spilling uncontrollably with his pupils almost tiny. Connie glared at the woman and growled. "Alright, that does it, bitch," he grumbled. " _I'm gonna shut your mouth permanently!_ "

"Forget it Connie," Janessa said, raising her arm before face her rival. "Arguing with this _bitch_ won't teach her a thing or two about dignity."

"I don't see you having a point in those words, redhead," Ymir replied.

Janessa turned bright red. " _Come on!_ Are you that stupid to ignore the situation here?! _"_ she yelled _._ "You always talk without thinking, _and judging without_ _understanding!_ "

The redhead crackled her fist. "Maybe a little fist can fulfill your wish of shutting this woman's mouth permanently," she grumbled.

"I'll let you do something crazy for once," Connie replied.

Janessa walked abruptly to her before Ymir stopped her. "Just think about it, idiot," Ymir said bluntly. "You clearly don't have any idea what the hell's going on here. You _seem to have an obsession with cat and mouse games._ "

Janessa raised her fist. " _Alright you're asking for it!_ " she shouted before Krista came in between them.

" _All of you, stop right now!_ " Krista pleaded. "Look we're in the end of our tender, okay? We're seeing our friends being killed like animals!"

The young goddess started to cry. "It's normal to be upset." she said.

Ymir wrapped her arm around Krista's neck, which made Janessa scoff. "Look at my Krista keeping the peace," she said. "You are so gonna have to marry me when all this crap is over."

She laughed for her little girl. "Yeah well..." Connie started.

Janessa rolled her eyes. "She's being totally ironic right now," she said.

Connie faced her. "You've got that right," he replied. " _She best get ahold of that mouth._ "

The redhead sighed in agreement. The buzz cut boy bent down in front of a crying Armin and held his hand to help him up. "Alright come on, we've gotta get out of here," he said. "Are you able to stand?"

Armin saw his friend's hand in front of him and stopped crying. "It's dangerous to be all alone in this godforsaken place," Janessa said. "It's best to stay in a group."

The boy stood up. "Sorry for being a nuisance..." he muttered, before walking away. "...don't worry about me...I'll run through with the rear guard."

Janessa and Connie faced him. "But...," he murmured.

"Armin...where are you..?" Janessa said.

" _Armin!_ " Connie cried out again.

The blonde boy leaped off the roof and shot his hooks at a wall, gliding away. Connie and Janessa watched him leave in dismay, having no clue what just happened to him. "So much for trying to comfort him," Janessa mumbled.

"Yeah...," Connie replied. "What on _earth_ had happened that made him like this?"

He sighed. "Connie! Hop Two!" a voice called out. "We've been given orders to advance!"

The two turned to their leader. Janessa sighed. "There goes our efforts," she mumbled before running to the edge of the roof. " _Let's get going._ "

"Right...," Connie said before following his friend and leaping off.

* * *

 _I was wrong..._ Armin continued to doubt in his mind whilst gliding throughout the chaos that used to be peace. _This world hasn't become hell; it's been hell. Just couldn't see it before now. We're condemned. All of us...have been from the beginning._

* * *

 _"Haha! Weakling!" A bully mocked as he and his friends continued to beat Armin in which they called fun. The boy stared at his book as it was being stomped on and destroyed. He wanted to cry and never crawl out from his rock again._

 _Strength preys on weakness. Its' a very straight thing for arrangement, actually._

 _"Hey! Enough you bastards!" He heard Eren scream and running to the rescue along with his sister Mikasa._

 _And...my friends...they..._

 _Eren punched a bully hard in the face. Mikasa flipped another one on the wall. Armin watched as his friends continued to defend and save him._

 _They tried...they knew how the world worked._

 _As they were done, Eren extended his hand to help his friend up. Armin looked at it and at Eren before putting his hand on his and he stood up._

 _They wanted to be strong...for me...so I only brought them down...including Saoirse._

 _Armin's memory transferred to where he saw the brunette_ _placing her hand on his shoulder to assure him while she held her book. The blonde boy looked at her and smiled._

 _Saoirse...she's going to be so distraught and heartbroken when she hears about this...she's gonna blame me for being weak and letting him do all the fighting...and they all realize I'm the victim that needed protection. But all I wanted was to stand shoulder to shoulder with them...and to be strong, like they were. To be worth something._

* * *

The hook missed latching on the wall out of Armin's distraction, which led him to smash against the wall, skidding with his side until he fell on his butt on the floor. He was so somber, it seemed like he was the weakest kid on planet earth. He couldn't stop sobbing, because his friends were always beside him, until he let Eren get killed and the girls will be so disappointed, letting all the blame to himself. The world has been hell. It was, and it has always been.

 _And this is how it all ends up...Eren tried to protect me and..._

He heard the sound of Hannah squeaking. He turned to see the freckled girl resuscitating her boyfriend Franz, which isn't working. Hannah raised her hands off him and tried to to CPR, but that didn't seem to work either. She leaped off his mouth and tried to resuscitate him again, pushing her hands repeatedly on his chest. Armin got from the corner and walked over to them.

"Hannah...what are you trying do?" Armin asked.

Hannah was sobbing hysterically while doing so. "Oh God Armin..!" she pleaded. "Help me, please! Franz couldn't breathe and I can't wake him up!"

Armin stared at her and Franz. " _He won't respond to CPR!_ " she panicked, pressing her hands on his chest rapidly. "Come on baby, you got this! _Stay with me!_ "

Hannah raised her head up to the sky with eyes closed and tears spilling down uncontrollably. " _SOMEBODY HELP US!_ " she screamed.

Armin raised his arm. "Hannah please..." he mumbled. "It's not safe on the ground. We need to get you on a roof-"

"NO! _I'm not leaving him like this!_ " Hannah yelled.

"I really don't understand you...," Armin's tears came back again. "Hannah I'm sorry Franz is..."

It was revealed that Franz's body was chopped in half, and Hannah believed so that she could revive her boyfriend by resuscitation but without his full body, the air won't activate him.

Armin placed his hand on his face. " _Please stop_..." he begged. " _Please stop doing that_..."

Hannah tried to do CPR again. She repeated the process in hopes of getting Franz back. " _I can't..._ " Armin said.

" _I can't take it_..." Armin muttered. " _This is hell._ "

* * *

The citizens haven't evacuated safely yet, because a carriage with heavy luggage was too big to fit into the inner gate. The townspeople pleaded the head, Dimo Reeves, to abandon the unneeded supplies and just focus on safety the whole entire time.

Dimo pushed a man aside, leaving him to be caught in time by another villager.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?!" a man pleaded. "I don't think you fully appreciate how bad the situation is!"

Dimo faced the angry mob. "Oh I appreciate just fine!" he answered. "Believe me, you wanna make it out here alive, stop whining and help!"

The crowd grew angrier at these protests. From amongst the crowd, Charlotte stood there yelling with Heather in her arms. The young girl raised her head to look at her aunt.

"Why haven't we evacuated yet, Aunty Charlotte?" Heather asked. "I'm getting impatient."

Charlotte faced her niece. "This crook is what's keeping us from evacuation," she replied bluntly. "This isn't simply getting into his damn head!"

A man in the front pushed a Garrison soldier towards the men. "You're a soldier, do something!" he pleaded.

"Just move that damn wagon!" another villager demanded.

"Not exactly sure how-" the soldier protested.

"Give your best shot, little man!" Dimo cried out. "I'm the president of this town's merchant guilt!"

The soldier widened his eyes. "Uh...well I-"

The man moved closer to the soldier in a threatening manner. "Who do you think pays all the bills for the food you and your buddies crap out?!" he yelled. " _Or maybe you got some finances to weight up on the racket you call a job!_ "

He turned away. "Now shut up and _push!_ " he demanded. "This cargo's more worth than you people making your whole lives! Nobody's gettin' out of here with the wagon's in front of them. _This is a reward if you help!_ "

A woman hugged her child. "Don't worry sweetheart, daddy's gonna those big loaded cannons he shoot to scare the titans off, and your friend Heather's perfectly fine," she assured.

"Mommy look," her child pointed behind. "There."

The mother raised her head from her child's crook of the neck and tried to see what it was from the corner of her eye. They suddenly heard loud stomping, and the chattering stopped.

"Aunty, what's making my ears hurt?" Heather asked. "I'm scared."

Charlotte hugged her niece tighter. "We're gonna get through this, I promise," she tried to assure, but it didn't work.

The citizens began to panic loudly as the stomping became louder and louder, indicating it's closer. A soldier was walking by, before an Abnormal titan crush him and appeared from the corner, approaching the citizens in a weird walking between running manner. The crowd screamed and this was how they were all going to die.

"Push it through, _dammit!_ " Dimo demanded. " _That thing's gonna kill us all!"_

The crowd agreed to push. They mustered up strength and tried to push the carriage with all their might, but it isn't working. The titan was getting closer. Heather buried her head into her aunt's shoulders and cried into it.

"Aunty Charlotte, _I don't want to die!_ " she sobbed.

Charlotte shook her. "Now now, we won't die, we have to push this damn thing!" she attempted to assure again.

Three Garrison soldiers approached the titan and tried to stop it, but it was too fast.

"Someone! Tell me why this bitch's ignoring us?!" one complained.

"It's an abnormal! Stop trying to figure it out!" his friend answered.

"It's too fast! We'll never overtake it or reach the gate!" a woman said.

"Just stay on him!" the leader said.

She was right. It was going too fast, and at this rate all of the townsfolk will get killed. Suddenly, a flash of black and white zoomed past with another flash of chocolate brown and white zoom past as well. The brown flash transformed into a girl which had chocolate brown hair, and she latched her hook into the legs, in which she sped towards them, raised her swords and sliced off the left leg, and she latched her hook quickly onto the right leg and sliced off it as well.

The other girl who sported black hair twisted into the air and latched her hook into the nape while the titan started to fall down. She zoomed towards the nape, raising her swords and slicing it effectively, blood spilling everywhere. The brunette joined her friend onto the neck and they stood on the neck whilst the titan fell dead in front of the citizens, smoke coming out.

Mikasa and Saoirse both looked at their blades and at each other. "Nice," Mikasa complimented.

"No sweat," Saoirse assured.

The two friends noticed the crowd ahead of them and realized they haven't evacuated yet, which was peculiar.

"Excuse us," Mikasa called out. "What is all this?"

"And why haven't you all evacuated yet?" Saoirse asked.

Heather faced Charlotte. "It's Saoirse," she muttered.

Dimo pointed at them. "You two brats wouldn't have asked for better timing!" he shouted. "Of course these useless morons won't push my wagon effectively!"

Mikasa and Saoirse's eyes widened.

"You do realize you don't actually need this stuff, right?" Saoirse asked.

The crowd gasped. "Excuse me?!" Dimo shouted.

"Seriously?" Mikasa joined in. "Soldiers are _dying_ back there. They doubt their lives for you. _All_ because this is taking _too long._ "

Saoirse glared at Dimo. "Are you not aware of what she said and what's happening?" she said. "These items in that damn wagon isn't even worth evacuation. You just wanted to bring them because you don't need them; you want them!"

Dimo scoffed at the girls. "Yeah, that's their job!" he said. "You expect me to shed a tear because they fulfilled the duties they signed on for?! They're supposed to be willing down their own lives!"

" _Excuse me?_ " Saoirse said. "It's like you don't even care! They are risking their lives because they want the greater good to live on!"

"Of course I don't care, little lady!" Dimo replied. "Your little logic is not working on me, and for the record, those deaths would have been meaningless anyways. It's your job, not mine! _Deal with it!_ "

"Don't you two get all high-ended on me because you finally got on your damn pay for all these years!" Dimo argued.

Mikasa and Saoirse had enough nonsense. They both leaped off and they walked through the crowd to reason with Dimo. He had clearly touched on a sore subject.

"Yeah, no arguing with that," Mikasa mumbled. "You're absolutely right, sir!"

"Serves you right," Saoirse joined in.

"Guess it's what you call the greater good," Mikasa continued.

Charlotte held her niece tightly. Her daughter and her friend is trying to save them. "Still, sometimes it's not the life of a death of a soldier that makes the biggest difference," the black haired girl said.

"You simply don't understand what all of us have been through," Saoirse said. "It's not everyday normal kids would risk their lives for the ones they love."

The two assistants of Dimo stepped in front to stop them. "Don't you even dare!" Dimo threatened. "Your commander and I are old friends!"

"So what?" Saoirse replied. "Makes no difference to us than a _crook._ "

" _One word from me and you'll be court partial!_ " Dimo threatened again.

The assistants sped towards the girls, but each of them held their swords and they pushed those men out of the way to have a little talk. "That word ought to come out from the grave," Mikasa said.

Both girls raised their swords and pointed at Dimo, which stumbled back in fear. "No! Wait!" he begged.

"Sir, maybe we should uh..." another assistant said.

"How would you feel if you were the one who's got the job of risking your own life to protect others and they won't even give a damn?" Saoirse asked. "Perhaps one day _one_ life lost could save _many_. Soldiers out there are passionate about their job because of two things; they fight with their _heart_ and they know they are doing it for the greater good and what they love. _Fight for what you love and the greater good._ "

Dimo stared at them. He had no defense whatsoever, so he had no choice but to sacrifice his wagon. " _Pull the damn wagon out._ " he demanded while shivering.

* * *

The people pulled out the wagon, allowing them to evacuate safely. The people were thanking the friends for saving their lives before they got lost.

"Thanks for having my back," Mikasa said.

"I'm getting the hang of this," Saoirse replied.

"You two are amazing!" the young girl called out to them with her mother.

"You saved our lives, misses. All of us are in your depths." the woman thanked.

Mikasa and Saoirse's eyes widened. They were happy to have grateful people by their side. They both pulled the swords into the sheaths of the box and saluted determinedly. The young girl gasped in happiness. They both walked away, showing they were motivated.

"Saoirse!" Charlotte called out.

The girl turned around and saw her mother standing there, with Heather running towards her cousin. " _Saoirse!_ " Heather cried out.

Saoirse knelt down for Heather to hug her cousin. It has been a long time since then. "Heather, it's so good to see you!" she greeted.

Mikasa watched her friend's reunion. Charlotte walked over to the reunited cousins. "Mom..." Saoirse mumbled before hugging her parent as well.

"We are all forever grateful for what you and your friend did," Charlotte said sincerely. "If your father were here, he would say 'My daughter is living happily and she will kick ass everywhere!'"

Saoirse laughed. "He would," she said.

She looked down at Heather, who was beaming excitedly. "You and Mikasa were amazing!" she cheered. "You two were like 'hah!' and you two dealt with that awful man pretty good! You two have saved us all!"

Saoirse smiled and ruffled her cousin's hair. "I'm so happy to have other support," she said.

Charlotte and Heather faced Mikasa. "And you...Mikasa...," Charlotte said, grabbing her hands. "Thank you so much for protecting my daughter. As long as she's with you, she'll live. We'll be grateful to you as well."

"I'm happy to see Saoirse reunite with you," Mikasa muttered.

Charlotte smiled and grabbed Heather's hand. "We better get going before another titan appears," Charlotte said. "Take care you two."

"Bye bye! I hope to see you again, Mikasa and Saoirse!" Heather greeted.

"Bye!" Saoirse waved back, a little sad she won't see her family again for the time being. Mikasa placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and smirked. "Your family...they are very nice people," she said.

"Yeah," Saoirse mumbled. " _I'll miss them_."

* * *

Soon, it started raining. Mikasa and Saoirse got ahold of the Trainee capes which protected them from the rain and to avoid getting sick during the operation.

"Good work, Ackerman and Hillman," Ian complimented. "I'm impressed."

"We did all we could here, sir," Mikasa answered. "But _thank you_."

"We will forever be grateful of your compliments," Saoirse replied.

Mikasa nodded. "The two of us need to be more careful in the future," she said. "We need to replace our blades. Both of us will do better next time."

The girl let go of her blades. "We promise," Saoirse said.

"What on earth did you live on to be so nonchalant?" Ian asked, noticing Mikasa's behavior besides Saoirse's.

The brunette waved her hands. "She's...she's really like that, I know her a lot better than you do," she answered.

Mikasa faced them. Ian turned away. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for," he apologized.

"I didn't mean it, I'm sorry too," Saoirse apologized.

"Don't be," Mikasa muttered.

She poked her finger into her scarf and pulled it to cover her mouth. Saoirse noticed her friend's look, and she knows what she's thinking. The little girl that commented on them reminded the two of something.

* * *

 _Year 844_

 _It was a rainy day in Shinganshina. Ben was usually in the Scouts for duties, but he was lucky today to have a day off. He carving wood whilst Charlotte was cooking food. A young Saoirse sat on the couch, reading her favorite book, "The Hyacinth Willows" for the second time. The Hillmans seemed to be chilling with their lives, regarding the strength they had over the centuries from the ancestors when the titans had first appeared._

 _"My, what a strong rainy day today, huh honey?" Ben asked, looking up from carving._

 _Charlotte faced her husband. "I have to admit, it's been long since I've seen hard rainy days like this one," she said._

 _Saoirse looked up from her book. "It's because of the legend that two Gods fell in love, but the other one treated the other one badly, so she ran away, and the other which was left alone kept weeping into the earth, hence why it rains hard and normally." she told them._

 _Both parents faced her. "My, you never raise your head from reading books, do you Saoirse?" Charlotte teased._

 _Ben chuckled and hugged his daughter. "Honey, let's just let out the fact that our daughter was destined to have a brain of a book," he said._

 _Saoirse laughed. "Daddy, stop it!" she said._

 _All three of them laughed together, happy to share family moments. Suddenly, a knock was heard from outside the door. Ben looked up and faced the door. "Who is it?" he asked._

 _"Messenger, sir," the person answered._

 _Ben shrugged. "Must be from the Scouts," he said, before walking over to the door and opening it. The messenger handed him an envelope._

 _"Here sir, I have received news from Commander Erwin Smith regarding the expedition awhile ago," the messenger declared._

 _Ben looked at it and faced the messenger. "Thank you very much," he said._

 _The messenger went away and Ben closed the door. The father walked to his wife and daughter with a worried expression. He opened the envelope and read it. After, his face went somber and distraught. Clearly what he read was not good._

 _"Honey? What does it say?" Charlotte asked nervously._

 _"Tell us daddy," Saoirse said._

 _Ben handed the envelope to his wife and she read it. After, she gasped and dropped the letter, covering her mouth in horror._

 _"Wh-What's wrong?" Saoirse asked._

 _Charlotte faced her daughter with a terrified look. "Saoirse...do you remember Uncle Henry and Aunt Kacy?" she asked, voice shaky._

 _"Y-Yes...don't tell me..." Saoirse started tearing up, knowing whatever news she'll her will be ten times worst than figuring it out._

 _Charlotte stared at her before burying her face into her hands. "They...they ended up getting killed..." she sobbed. "Oh God...please no..."_

 _Saoirse started to sob as well. Aside from her father, her aunt and uncle were Scouts as well. The three worked together, but now both of them are gone._

 _"B-But...what about Heather...?" Saoirse choked._

 _Ben rubbed his temples. "We don't know honey...we don't know," was all he had to say._

 _"But we can't leave Heather all alone!" Saoirse said, fighting back tears. "We have to take her in and make her live with us!"_

 _Ben and Charlotte faced their daughter._

* * *

 _Saoirse knew this was the place. She walked up to the porch silently as she could. There was a window, so this was her best chance to peek in as well. She saw a three year old Heather crouched in the corner, sobbing into her knees. Saoirse's heart melted seeing her cousin cry._

 _The girl raised her head from the window and she opened the door silently. She peeked in and it was so dark, it looked like a cave. There were only a few candles to support her. She walked in slowly and she tried to find the room where her cousin was. She eventually found it, where it was near the stairs._

 _"Heather?" Saoirse's voice filled the room._

 _Her cousin looked up and faced her, tears spilling out of her eyes. Saoirse walked slowly, before bending down to her._

 _"Do you remember me?" Saoirse asked. "I used to play with you a lot. Your parents would set up play dates for us."_

 _Heather paused. "Yes..." her voice was squeaky. "Where's mama and papa? I am scared...I don't want to be alone..."_

 _Saoirse sighed in sadness. How was she gonna tell a three year old her parents were dead?_

 _"Listen," she said. "I know you don't know the D word, but your parents...they...they'll never come back."_

 _Heather pounded her fist. "NO!" she screamed, not wanting to believe it was true. "They will! They always come back! No saying they'll never because...they will! I'm a good girl, and I don't deserve this!"_

 _Saoirse sighed. "I know they always come back, but..." she paused again. "This time they won't. I promise."_

 _Heather faced her cousin, tears spilling faster than ever. "If that's true then..." she sobbed, before throwing a tantrum like a typical baby whilst crying._

 _Saoirse lowered her eyes. She didn't want to see her cousin like this. She grabbed her hand. "Come with me," she said. "You...you can live with me and my family. We'll take care of you...like a sibling. You don't have to be afraid anymore...we'll protect you, I promise."_

 _Heather stopped her tantrum and stared at her cousin. "Okay.." she muttered._

 _They heard loud footsteps and the two girls saw Charlotte and Ben standing in front of them. "We will make sure you live happily and healthy," Ben said._

 _"And you can play with Saoirse all the time, like she's your sister," Charlotte said as well._

 _Saoirse faced her cousin, and Heather sighed. "Yes, Aunty Charlotte and Uncle Ben," she said obediently._

* * *

 _A few days later, Saoirse, feeling bored and her cousin sleeping, she decided to take a break from reading by walking around the neighborhood. She looked around the surroundings around her, they were beautiful. Suddenly, she stopped walking when she saw a certain young girl sitting alone on the stairs, with a red scarf wrapped around her head and she had long, black hair._

 _Saoirse noticed that she was alone and sad. She approached her cautiously. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked._

 _The girl didn't answer. She just shook her head. Saoirse bit her lip. "Can I sit with you?" she asked again._

 _The black-haired girl sighed, but the scarf muffled it. "Go ahead," she said._

 _Saoirse sat on the stairs beside the girl, even though this was another person's house. She was nervous, because she didn't have any friends, but she could make one right now. She cleared her throat._

 _"I like your scarf," Saoirse managed to say._

 _The black-haired girl turned to her. "Thank you," she responded quietly._

 _It was silence again. As if it has been thirty minutes, the brunette broke the silence. "My name is Saoirse," she introduced herself. "I live five houses away. What's your name?"_

 _Mikasa continued to stare at the ground. With no response, Saoirse shook her head. "I see, you're really shy, I understand," she sadly said. "Maybe I should give you time to prepare to introduce yourself."_

 _"Mikasa." the black haired girl responded._

 _Saoirse nodded. "I see, nice to meet you Mikasa," she said. "Why the long face?"_

 _It was silent once again, and within a few moments of hesitation, Mikasa looked at her and sighed sadly. "M-My mommy and daddy got killed yesterday..." tears started to form in her eyes. "So...my father's friend and his family adopted me...but I really miss my parents.."_

 _Saoirse's face fell. "Oh my goodness!" she cried out. "I am very sorry. You don't deserve this."_

 _"I don't," Mikasa muttered. "It's not your fault."_

 _She raised her head up towards the sky. "The world is a cruel place," she mumbled. "It's also very beautiful."_

 _Saoirse's eyes lowered. "I see," she sadly said. Suddenly, she stood up and offered her hand to Mikasa. "I have something to cheer you up."_

 _Mikasa looked at her hand. "We can be friends, right?" Saoirse asked. "I'm here for you. We can play with each other and invite you over to my house so you won't feel lonely anymore! What do you say?"_

 _The black-haired girl stared at her. "Really?" she asked in surprise._

 _Saoirse nodded happily. "I'll be there for you, I promise!" she squealed._

 _Mikasa closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and she opened her eyes and smiled slightly. "I would love to." she said, grabbing her hand and standing herself up._

 _Saoirse jumped in joy. "Yay! My new neighbor is my new friend!" she squealed._

 _Mikasa smiled at her new friend. Aside from what happened, she is happy to have someone cheer her up. Saoirse gripped her hands tightly._

 _"Best friends...forever?"_

 _Mikasa paused for a moment before gripping her new friend's hand tightly and smiling. "Forever!" she said._

 _Saoirse smiled. She was happy to find a new friend to support her._

* * *

Saoirse sliced a nape of a titan, following after Mikasa. She was overwhelmed by her past memories, her movements were fast and quick. Mikasa landed on a roof, and Saoirse landed on it as well, staring at the sight.

They heard the bell ring, and they saw the gate closing. Saoirse paused at the sight, because she was afraid the Armored Titan would smash through like five years ago.

"Glad everyone's safe," Saoirse mumbled. "Right?"

Mikasa nodded. "Right." she replied.

"That's it girls, we're done," Ian said before turning to the girls. "Now scale the wall."

Saoirse and Mikasa faced their leader. "We should help the vanguard redraw, sir," Mikasa said, running to the ledge and flying off.

The brown haired girl nodded. "Sorry sir, but we have to help our friends," she said, running to the ledge of the roof and gliding away and following her friend Mikasa.

Ian raised his arm to stop them. "Ackerman! Hillman! Wait!" he pleaded, but it was too late.

Saoirse continued to follow her friend through the departed district, gray everywhere.

 _Eren...I hope you are safe because if you are...I'll confess to you before then._

* * *

 **There goes episode six! Hope you enjoyed the little flashbacks I added. It was fun, because this chapter contains how Saoirse meets Mikasa. The next chapter ermygahd it's gonna be very hard to write. Saoirse's reaction's gonna leave you saying "Aw, but I ship them!"**

 **Only 18 more episodes to go! Awinx out for now!**


	7. The Small Blade

Chapter 7: The Small Blade

 **Hi Winxers! I just finished episode 7, and also I'm frustrated and sad at the same time because a dooshbag named ICAMETOFLAME flamed my story, so I'll just address this to whoever this person is:**

 **ICAMETOFLAME, I suggest you stop flaming others' stories and mind your own business, because you wanted attention and because you're just jealous of how this story's going. Your flames don't bother me, because I can handle it. Thank you and enjoy working in a garbage truck.**

 **Anyways, from now on, please don't flame this story! I've put so much work on it, so don't disregard my work! Anyhow, enjoy!**

* * *

It has been two hours since the citizens evacuated safely, as means of no harm to any families. Hours passed by, and many soldiers have retreated to HQ cowardly and the deaths of many trainees increased faster. Things were getting more and more difficult by the passing time. Some soldiers would even plead to let them borrow gas tanks for their gear or just escape the wall.

"Captain, please wait!" one trainee begged with his other friends. "There's only a handful of us left sir, if the titans were to attack here and hold us we won't have a chance in hell of holding them off!"

"Please, sir! We need you here!" another girl pleaded.

Kitz Woeman was one of the strictest captains in the Garrison Regiment. "Out of my way, soldier," he bluntly said. "We have to get going. My experts is need to help direct the reinforcements."

"Behind the safety of the inner gate, am I right?" another one said.

Kitz widened his eyes. "Just what the hell are you implying?" he asked. "They need my help reorganising. Or would you rather as be _overwhelmed_ in just a _nightmare?!"_

"B-B-But sir!" the girl begged once more. "If we lose those supplies-"

" _Hell knows!_ " Kitz shouted in frustration, raising his blade towards her in a threatening manner.

"Question my orders again, would you lead me to my duties, or I'll run my _blades_ right through!" he threatened. The situation grew worser by the minute.

* * *

Mikasa latched her hook unto the tower, and she landed on it without stumbling. Saoirse latched hers as well and landed next to her best friend, looking at the abandoned district through the rain. They both noticed something in the corner of their eyes, and they both spotted three trainees who were talking and discussing about the safety.

Saoirse narrowed her eyes. _Wait a minute..we were supposed to evacuate by now...what could keep them from doing so?_

The brunette glanced back at the HQ, which was miles away, and it became clear as it all dawned on her. Mikasa was glancing at the HQ as well. There were titans surrounding the HQ, climbing on the building structures and ripping it apart to find more people to devour.

* * *

Inside the HQ, four tables were cornered around some trainees as so to protect themselves and avoid being seen by titans. One girl peeked out from the table and saw a titan's eye outside the window, finding her.

"It's over...all over..." she sobbed, tears spilling out of her eyes. She slumped. " _We're doomed_...!"

Another girl was crying in her knees, while the boy beside her was trying to put gas into a gun, believing it would be useful to kill the titans. Suddenly, a large crash broke through the room, causing a whole in the room to allow titans to access the humans from inside.

"There," the boy said as he was finished filling up the gas. The girl faced him.

"Come on, that's not enough to stop the them," she said.

The boy raised the gun and placed it inside his mouth. The girl's eyes widened in horror as she realized what he's gonna do.

He pulled the trigger, the bullet ran through his mouth, spilling blood everywhere, mostly on the girl beside him. They all screamed at this sudden suicide.

* * *

"Hey Jean," Connie called out. The rest of the squads were resting on the roof to catch breath before they could head out. "What are we gonna do?"

Jean didn't answer. Janessa, who was beside him, she faced him, knowing he could give one. "We can't do anything," Jean muttered, raising his head up. "Finally gave us the order to withdraw and we were all out of gas of course."

He placed his hand on his head. "I can't believe this is how it's all going to end, all because of those damn cowards," he mumbled.

"You mean the supply depo?" Connie asked again. "What is going on?! Where are they?!"

Janessa shook her head. "I don't know, maybe they decide to abandon us at the last minute out of fear," she tried to give her best answer.

"They all lost their will to fight," Jean answered. "And I can understand why. But they abandoned their duty to supply us. They're getting their-selves inside of HQ. And of course, titans have sworn the place which means we can't get the gas ourselves."

Janessa spotted a rock and threw it. "Dammit, why is this happening to us?" she complained.

"No one knows Janessa, no one does," Jean replied.

Connie raised his arms. He didn't want to give up yet. "Then why are we _waiting?!_ We gotta go, start gathering the number so we have a chance!"

The buzz cut boy's motivation wasn't working. "Take a look around, Connie," Janessa said. "We can't do anything. _We just can't._ And besides, there's no way in hell we'll make it out alive in this godforsaken place. We would be titan chow by the time we reach HQ, end of story."

Connie shook his head. "Don't give up hope just yet, redhead!" he said. "Sitting here on this roof is pointless! Eventually the titans are gonna come for us!"

"We don't have much gas left, we'll just waste what little we've got and try to run," he tried to assure the two. "And without our mobility, _we're completely screwed!_ " he knocked on his gas tank.

Jean raised his head up. "You're using your head for once Connie, nice going," he said. "But I'm just not sure if we've got the numbers needed to pull this thing off. The better it's going, all of the Vanguard is getting killed. How exactly are a bunch of rookies pull off a suicide mission like this? I mean, let's assume half of our numbers in the assault. Then what? The supply room is probably crawling with titans, in a three to four meter range. I don't see much accomplish in there."

Janessa sighed. "Just great," she mumbled. "This whole thing just keeps getting better and better, does it?"

Connie's face fell. They were right after all. "It's hopeless," he said.

Jean ran his fingers through his hair. "What a dull life this used to be," he said. "I never even got to tell her how I feel."

Janessa faced him. "You meant Mikasa?" she asked, a little envy.

"Don't bother asking," he replied.

That reminded Janessa of something, which made her face go a little warm. _Maybe this is the time when I can finally confess. He'll realize how much I love him and when we die, we'll be together._

The redhead cleared her throat. "Jean...I..I want to tell you something before we're out like lights," she started. "It's really important."

"If it's important before all of us are finished off, go ahead," Jean mumbled.

Janessa sighed, about to say what she has been wanting to say for years. "Jean..I am glad to be with you since then...and now we are all gonna end up being titan chow. Before we do so, I just want to say that I love y-"

"Come on guys, we can do it!" Sasha tried to encourage, even though her voice interrupted Janessa's confession. The girl sighed. She was so close to admitting before she got rudely interrupted by potato girl.

"Right? Let's go," she said. "If we all work together we can make this happen I know we can!"

Janessa sighed again. "You're not helping," she called out.

Sasha ignored her. "Alright? I'll take the lead," she declared, even though the rest of the trainees didn't answer her, taking it as a yes.

Sasha realized the somber looks on all of them, and lowered her eyes, realizing that no one would want to. She spotted Armin, who was sitting in the corner, looking ten times somber as the rest of them. He was her friend, and she knew he was gonna say yes. Sasha ran to him, hoping he would agree. "Armin...it's time to go," she said.

Armin didn't reply. The girl sighed, she wasn't helping at all, like Janessa said. It was all hopeless, and there's nothing all of them can do. Annie, Bertolt, Reiner, Marco and Keira watched the scene before them.

"Reiner...do we move out?" Annie asked.

He turned to her. "Not yet, we have to let them gather first," he answered.

They heard small sniffles and they all saw Keira, who was staring at the ground with tears spilling out of her eyes, rubbing her arms. "Those poor beings...they...they don't deserve it.." she sobbed.

"Keira..." Marco tried.

"I-I don't to die..." Keira choked.

Marco sighed. "It's no use," he said. "There's too many of them...I don't think any of us is gonna survive this."

He raised his head up. "I've come to accept my pending demise, I just...wouldn't be destined to mean something..." he said.

Keira sobbed harder. "We're all done for...I can't take this anymore..." she sobbed.

Suddenly, they heard running footsteps and they all saw Saoirse and Mikasa running towards them. "Mikasa! Saoirse!" Marco called out. "Weren't you two with the rearguard?"

Keira opened her eyes and smiled slightly. "Thank goodness," she said, with Marco placing his hand on her shoulder.

Janessa raised her head up. "Saoirse? Mikasa?" she asked.

"Annie!" Mikasa and Saoirse called out.

The small blonde turned to the two of them. "We know how bad things have gotten," she said. "It's selfish...but in personal matters in the forefront...but have you seen Eren's squad?"

All five faced them. "At least there has to be someone from his squad, right?" Saoirse asked.

"Some squads made it back," Annie answered. "But I don't know about _Eren's_."

"We found Armin he's over there," Reiner said, glancing at where he is. Mikasa and Saoirse turned to Reiner's direction and saw Armin in a gloomy state.

"Armin!" Mikasa called out.

"Armin! Thank god," Saoise said.

Armin cringed when he heard the girls and running towards him. _Mikasa...Saoirse...I'm dead...how am I gonna tell them what happened to Eren...? And Saoirse...she'll be so distraught...to where I think she'll be on the point of suicide...so useless..!_

He closed his eyes. The moment has come. He was dreading to tell them what happened, and now it was happening. He didn't want to, but he had tioto silence their questions of where he is. _I wish I died with him instead!_

The girls knelt down to their friend. Saoirse's heartbeat was increasing in nervousness. "Armin...are you okay...?" Mikasa asked.

"We hope anything didn't happen to Eren and the others, why are you the only one?" Saoirse asked.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Mikasa questioned.

Mikasa stood up and tilted her head to search for him. "Where's Eren?" she asked.

Armin grew scared by the minute. Saoirse looked at him in the eyes. "Armin..tell us what happened, we're here for you," she assured.

He couldn't take it anymore. Without thinking what to hope for anymore, he raised his head up at the two girls with more tears spilling out of his eyes, large as saucers. He looked like he was in a nightmare.

Mikasa and Saoirse's eyes widened at this sudden gesture. He stared at both of them, all widened eyes. More tears spilled uncontrollably like a broken water faucet.

"They were..." he sobbed, as he rested his fists on his legs. "The cadets of squad thirty-four..."

"Armin...you're scaring me!" Saoirse said in fear. "What happened?"

"Thomas Wagner...Nac Tius..." Armin said on with a heavy heart. "Mylius Zeramuski...Mina Carolina... _Eren Yeager!_ "

"Armin... _what happened to them?_ " Saoirse asked nervously.

"These brave five...upheld their duties...they died valiantly in the field of battle..." Armin said.

All squads gasped. Saoirse's face went ghostly white. Her stomach tightened and her heart beat at a rapid pace. She felt her palms go clammy and the rest of her body go numb. She felt like she was experiencing her father dying all over again. She felt like she was in a horrific nightmare which she couldn't wake up from. " _What?_ " she asked breathlessly.

" _Please no_..." Sasha said with fear in her words. She was also having an incredibly hard time processing the terrible news Armin just brought.

Keira covered her mouth in horror, with more tears spilling out. " _Oh God no_..." she sobbed, and cried into her hands, with Marco placing his hand on her shoulder.

Connie, Jean and Janessa watched in horrification. "Saoirse..." Janessa mumbled, knowing she wouldn't take it very well. She raised her hand, but Jean placed his hand on her shoulder, knowing Saoirse needed time.

"His whole squad was wiped out...?" Jean asked horrifically.

"The same would happen to us if we take on those titans..." one said.

Saoirse fell to her knees, with an even more horrific look than Armin, tears uncontrollably spilling out of her eyes. They couldn't hear her breathe or see her chests moving, because they knew Saoirse was ten times shocked as Armin. They also didn't hear her sniffle or cry, she was doing it silently. She was very good in silencing her sobs. She just stared at the ground hopelessly, as if there was nothing in the whole world she would do except staring. She was so pale to the point it would seem like she is barely seen.

" _No_..." she whispered to the point it would seem silent. " _Please no_...

She was deadly silent whilst crying silently, but inside her, she wanted to scream and cry loudly. It was like experiencing endless pain. Her heart was clearly smashed into millions of pieces.

Everyone felt silent watching Saoirse sob intensely and silently. Armin continued crying as well. "I'm so sorry Saoirse and Mikasa...it should have been me that died..not Eren..." he sobbed. "I.. _I couldn't do a thing! I'm worthless..._ "

He continued sobbing as he was done sharing the terrible news. He expected Mikasa to break down as well. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his and saw Mikasa staring at him, looking calm as ever, as if it didn't bother her.

"Armin." she said. He looked up to her. " _Calm yourself_ , we haven't got time for you to get emotional right now."

Armin stared in dismay. "On your feet," Mikasa said, helping him up.

As she was done, she walked over to a bewildered Saoirse, in which she was having a hard time processing the news that Eren was gone from her life, and she'll never confess. She bent down next to her and placed her hand on her friend's hand. Saoirse stopped her silent sobbing and glanced at her friend. " _Get up._ " Mikasa instructed.

Saoirse stared in dismay, but Mikasa helped her up and started walking. "Marco, Keira, if we eliminate our bypass the titans at HQ, we can there refuel our gear, allowing us to get back over the wall," she said. "Is that assessment correct?"

Both of them stared at her as if she had a chicken head. "Yeah but..." Keira mumbled.

"Well yeah I guess so,sure," Marco answered. "But there's just too many of them out there, even with you on point-"

His sentence was cut short when Mikasa faced them. "I can do it," she said with determination.

" _What?_ " Keira and Marco asked in dismay.

"I'm strong, _real strong_ ," Mikasa continued, raising her sword to prove her point. "None of you come close, _you hear me?_ I am a warrior. Know this: I have the power to slay all of the titans that block our path. _Even_ if I have to do it _alone."_

They all stared at her in disbelief. "As far as I'm concerned, I am surrounded by a bunch of unskilled cowardly worms," she said. She pointed her swords towards them. " _You disappoint me_ ," she bluntly said. "You can just sit here and twiddle your thumbs and watch how it's done."

"Wait-Mikasa! Are you out of your mind?! That's crazy!" A girl called out.

"You can't be serious! Trying to take them out by yourself?!" another one said.

"There's no way to hope that you can beat them!" another trainee protested.

Mikasa remained still and gentle as if those remarks didn't mean anything. "If I can't beat them, I die," she said. "But..If I win, _I live. And the only way to win is to fight._ "

Saoirse raised her arm towards her. "Mikasa, they're dangerous!" she said.

"Does it matter?" Mikasa asked before gliding away.

"Hey!" another one called out to stop her, but it was too late. The soldiers all stared in dismay, knowing whatever she said was right. They felt ashamed when she said that.

"W-What just happened...?" Janessa asked.

"I have no damn idea what Mikasa's just thinking," Connie said.

Suddenly, Saoirse walked over to where she was, indicating she's gonna follow her friend. "Hey! Saoirse!" one girl said. "You're not gonna follow her, are you?!"

"You're crazy if you do!" another one said.

They aren't regardless of what Mikasa said. Sasha walked to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Saoirse...I know you are heartbroken about Eren and you want to avenge him..." she paused. "But if you follow her...you might end up like him.."

Saoirse pushed her away violently, and remained still again. "Saoirse, you can't just follow her, because you too will get killed-"

She turned harshly to them. " _What do you think the past years of your lives have been about?!_ " she raised her voice, silencing them. "All of you, hapiness and peace was all that mattered in your life. And your gonna throw all those beautiful memories of those happy days away? That's why the world wanted you. _All of you._ Everyone deserves a happy life because the world was meant to be good and peaceful for all of us. If you regret those happy years of your life, I guess the truth is your death is utterly meaningless and not worth the world's greater good."

"Hillman! _What are you saying?!_ " another one said.

Saoirse remained still. " _Fight for what you love and the greater good_ , even if it's a risky task," she said. "Mikasa's right, cowards don't have the slightest clue of why they were happy and well lived. _You should all be ashamed of yourselves."_

She jumped off the ledge and glided away, leaving the cadets awed. They didn't believe what just happened. "You know I was expecting something more motivational," Jean muttered.

Janessa and Connie faced him. "You way of words is kinda lit," he waved his swords. "I'll blame everything about this on you Eren."

He raised his swords. " _Hey!"_ he shouted suddenly. "Don't just stand there, we weren't taught to let our comrades fight alone! Guess you are a coward in which case _stay out of my way!_ "

He ran to the ledge and he glided away to follow Saoirse and Mikasa. Connie followed him as well. Annie, Reiner, Bertolt, Marco and Keira stared in dismay. "Never expected that from him," Reiner muttered, before he, his friends and Marco ran off to the ledge, leaving Keira. Armin wiped his tears and decided to follow them.

"Hey! Seriously, come on you bunch of tickets!" Sasha called out, before leaping off and joining her friends.

"Hey cowards!" Keira called out, earning glances. Janessa went beside her.

"If you want to stay here and suck your thumbs, that's the least of our problems!" Janessa said.

"Yeah!" Keira and Janess high five and went off to join Marco, Jean and the others.

"They're nuts," one said.

"Dammit," another one said. "Alright, let's go!"

All the trainees raised their swords, wanting to fight once more, screaming in victory. They all leapt off the roof and joined the others in combat against the titans. Mikasa raised her swords and sliced the nape effectively, her movements very agile. Saoirse spotted another one and sliced it's nape, faster than ever.

"Hey boys~" Janessa and Keira called out to Marco and Jean, which they were behind them.

"Hurry up!" Jean shouted. "Follow _Mikasa and Saoirse! Avoid titans if you can!"_

"Hell yeah!" Janessa cheered, latching her hooks.

"We can do this!" Keira said.

"Get to HQ before we run out of gas!" Jean continued.

Connie stared at the black-haired girl. "Woah, Mikasa's a badass!" he said.

"Now that you mentioned it Connie, right," Keira said. "I've never seen her like this! She's so fast and agile!"

"Compare it to Saoirse over there," Janessa said, using her head to show Keira and Connie her friend, moving fast and agile as Mikasa was. The two seemed overwhelmed.

"How are they going so fast?" Connie asked.

Armin noticed their movements carefully. _Compared to Saoirse, Mikasa's using too much gas! She can pull out in any second!_

Saoirse glanced at Mikasa, which she noticed her movements. She suddenly paused as she continued gliding. _Wait, what am I doing? Why am I still fighting?_ Saoirse wondered. _I can't do this. I have to let go. I'm not supposed to be fighting now that Eren's gone. I didn't have a chance to admit my feelings to him..truth is, I don't know what to think or do anymore._

She didn't notice a titan reaching for her, but she dodged in time, only for its' fingers to slam on her right leg, spraining it. Worse, her hook failed to latch on the next building, causing her to fall on the roof, smashing through and falling on the floor inside on her back, debris everywhere. The titan was about to get her before a cadet sliced it's nape.

"Oh God! Saoirse's hurt!" Janessa called out. "Keira, switch now!"

"We can't!" Jean called from the front.

"We have to help her! She's hurt!" Keira said.

"She'll be fine! We have to get to HQ before we run out of gas!" Jean said.

"But Jean-" Janessa was cut short.

" _Would you two rather lose your lives?"_ Jean asked.

They both sighed. The redhead turned to where she was injured. "Sorry Saoirse," she mumbled.

They turned forward to see the gas from Mikasa's gear run out. They saw Mikasa fall, smashing into the roof, her swords throwing out of her hands and rolling, falling below.

" _Mikasa!_ " Armin yelled, and switched to her direction in efforts to save her.

Jean saw him switch. "Dammit!" he said.

"Terrific! Utterly terrific!" Janessa complained. " _Now what?!_ "

"Jean!" Connie called out. "You lead the rest to the HQ! I'm going after Armin!"

Jean went beside him. "I'll go with you-"

"Don't be stupid!" Connie yelled.

Marco, Keira and Janessa caught up with him. "We have to get to HQ, now!" Keira said.

"There're still titans everywhere!" Connie shrieked. "You gotta help the others!

He gilded towards where Armin headed. Jean closed his eyes and sighed. He was right. They needed to get to HQ before they run out of gas.

* * *

Meanwhile, Saoirse was nearly unconscious from the impact. She felt great pain on her right leg, and tried to move it, to result in causing her to wince. She glanced at the broken ceiling above her.

 _Here we go again..another loved one dead._

She just stood there, laying on her back, unable to move. Her back had pretty much hurt too from the damage. She tried to get up, but now she was too weak, causing her to fall on her back again.

 _Why...why are we all condemned to lose the people we love and care about?_

She tried to lift herself up again. She slowly lifted her chest and her back. Now she had to lift her sprained right leg. She tried to lift it, no matter how hard it was. She stood on it, which made her wince. She raised her left leg and now she was limping. She knelt down on the ground again, looking at the floor with widened eyes.

 _I can't decide whether to live life or just waste it..it's all been wasted._

* * *

Jean, Janessa, Marco, Keira and the others watched as the titans continued to swarm HQ.

"It's no use," Jean complained. "We're not getting anywhere near headquarters."

Janessa rubbed her temples. "I can't believe we still tried to travel there only to find out we still lose in the end, lose-lose situation," she muttered.

Keira sighed. "I guess so," she replied.

Suddenly, they all spotted a guy named Tom on the ground with his hook latched. He tried to activate his gas mechanism, but it wouldn't come out. He's done for. The titans slowly surrounded him.

 _Shit!_ Janessa stared in horror. _He's done for!_

 _"_ Tom! We'll save you!" his friends came to his aid.

"Wait!" Jean said.

"Don't do it!" Keira screeched.

The titan had Tom in his hands, shaking his head and tears spilling out. His friend was approaching the nape. "Stay back!" he shouted, only for a titan to grab him.

Tom sobbed as the titan opened his mouth, and chomped off his head, ending his life there like a light. Jean and the others watched in horror as they were witnessing their comrades eaten before their eyes. It was a massive massacre. _This...this can't be happening...we were so close...but we're done for...we are useless against them...unless there is something to save us, we're all condemned to suffer the same fate..._ Janessa's mind spoke.

A girl was sobbing as a titan was holding her arms, ready to eat her. Jean gripped on his blades. All the others watched the rest of the cadets get eaten, mouth and eyes widened in horror.

Keira placed her hands on her head. "No..no..no...not again... _not again!_ " she shrieked, falling on her knees.

Clearly, she couldn't take it anymore. Seeing her friends eaten was the one thing she never wanted to see in her life. Marco bent down to her, and lifted her up whilst crying into her hands.

"Oh God no!" Janessa screeched.

"Noo! _NOOO!_ " the girl screamed, before the titan completely finished her off.

* * *

Saoirse heard the screams of her comrades from afar. They were loud enough for her to hear. She heard stomping and saw a titan walking by without noticing her. She stared at the ground again, tightening her fist.

 _There's no denying it...this is what's happening now. We were destined to be eaten in the first place. I-I'm so sorry father...I don't want to believe anymore...I don't know why I even consider joining the Scouts! It was a wrong decision, because look what my training has gotten me to. I don't know what do to anymore.._

 _Soon...I'll join you and Uncle and Aunt above...I never even got the chance to say to my mother and cousin how I love them. I'm sure Eren's there too, so I guess it means that I'll be glad to escape this hell we called the world._

Suddenly, the thought of Eren came back to her mind.

* * *

 _"Saoirse? What's wrong?" A ten year old Eren asked her when she was sitting near a pond, sobbing hysterically while holding something in her hands._

 _She didn't respond. The boy approached her and he kneeled next to her and saw what she was holding; a dead frog._

 _"Saoirse...were you trying to save it?" Eren asked._

 _She faced him with tears spilling out of her eyes. "I tried to! I don't want to see this frog die!" she cried. "I tried to save him...but it was too late...he's done, and it's all my fault!"_

 _She sobbed into the frog, tears falling on it. Eren's face fell as he couldn't bear seeing her cry. He placed his hand on hers, holding it. The brunette looked up and she stared at her crush._

 _"Don't blame yourself Saoirse," Eren assured. "You had the effort of trying to save this frog's life."_

 _Saoirse wiped her tears. "What do you mean?" she asked._

 _Eren gripped on her hand tightly. "What I'm saying is that even if you failed to save the frog, I'm sure it's happy that you were there when he died," he said. "Even if you blame yourself for not able to save your loved ones from dying, they are still grateful that you were there for them. They wouldn't want to die alone and in vain, now do they?"_

 _Saoirse stared at him. She had never seen him like this. "Eren I...I don't know what to say," she said._

 _Eren chuckled. "I learned all this when I try to defend Armin from the bullies," he admitted._

 _Saoirse smiled. "I feel a lot better now," she said, and looked at the frog._

 _Eren looked at the dead reptile. "Let's go bury it into a peaceful place, as so not to make his death in vain, what do you say?" he suggested._

 _Saoirse smiled brightly. "That's the most wonderful remark I've heard today!"_

* * *

 _Eren...I...I..._

Saoirse's eyes watered, causing tears to spill down uncontrollably. Eren was right. She had to keep living on from that past remark, even if he didn't directly say it. She knew he wouldn't want to see her cry and give up, because he loved her.

Saoirse wiped her tears. _Eren...please forgive me...for not being there to try to save you from your death...but for you...I'll keep fighting and living on, no matter what! It's my job now to fulfill your promise. I promise to continue fighting and living on..without you here! I'll do whatever it takes to protect my friends because I will stay loyal, no matter what!_

She stood up, more determined than ever. She limped all the way to the door in which she went out of the house and scanned the area to look for any survivors. She decided to go ahead using her gear, even though she knew she was almost out of gas. She latched her hook into a tower and started gliding again. Whilst doing so, she spotted Mikasa surrounded by two titans.

 _Mikasa?! I've got to help her!_

Saoirse raced towards her friend, and pretty soon she was on the ground. Suddenly, she saw the titan behind her raise it's arm and it _punched_ the other titan surrounding Mikasa, causing her to fall from the impact. The stomp of the titan shook the ground, which made Saoirse stumble and push her against the wall.

"Wh- _What on earth_..?!" Saoirse said, raising her head up to see the titan who punched the other.

She gasped. The titan was humanlike, and it had long black hair, with large teeth and abs. She saw Mikasa on the ground as well. This was her chance.

"Mikasa!" Saoirse called out to her.

She turned to see the brunette kneeling down beside her. "Are you okay? What the heck happened to you?" Saoirse asked.

"I'll tell you later, but what is that titan doing?" Mikasa asked, pointing at the now called Rogue Titan.

Saoirse turned to it. It was a moment before it roared loudly, it shook the ground and caused both of the girls to cover their ears. It suddenly charged towards the abnormal one and stomping on it repeatedly.

 _What the...that titan...is killing...it's own kind..?!_

Saoirse turned to Mikasa. "Are you seeing this, or is it just me?!" she said.

"You're not the only one, _look!_ " Mikasa pointed.

Saoirse turned to the Rogue Titan which continued to stomp on it repeatedly, spilling blood everywhere.

"H- _How is this possible?!_ " Saoirse asked in disbelief. "There's no way a _titan_ could go _against_ it's own race!"

"Neither do I! This is _insane!_ " Mikasa answered.

They both helped each other up. "You okay?" Mikasa asked.

Saoirse nodded. "Yeah I'm fine, just..." she said, glancing at her right leg. "I-I sprained my right leg."

"Oh no, do you need help?" Mikasa asked, concerned.

Saoirse shook her head. "Don't worry I'm fine, I can handle it," she assured.

The two stared back at the Rogue Titan, which was finished with the other stomped titan. The Rogue Titan stood up and raised his head up. Perhaps there is hope after all.

Meanwhile, Armin was gliding throughout the district, looking for Mikasa. "Please be alright!" he said to himself. "And Saoirse...where is she..?"

He heard the roar, and he turned to see the Rogue Titan, with Mikasa and Saoirse watching in shock.

"There they are!" Armin said.

He let go of his wires and aimed both of them at the building near the two girls. He glided to the ground, in which on instinct, he grabbed both of the girls. He brought them to the roof, which all three of them landed hard.

" _Armin?!_ " Saoirse said. "Thank God! You saved us back there."

He faced them. "Mikasa, Saoirse!" he called out in relief. "Are you alright?"

Suddenly, they heard someone land next to them and saw Connie there. "Are you guys alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Armin answered.

"No sweat," Saoirse said.

Connie stood up. "Then we better get out of here," he said, before hearing stomping. He saw a titan walk by.

"Crap!" Connie cursed, realizing they'll get eaten.

Suddenly, the Rogue Titan stepped in front of it. The four watched. "Two fifteen meter titans!" Connie said.

"No, that one's different," Mikasa said.

Armin and Connie turned to them. Armin saw a skeleton of a titan, in which blood and smoke were everywhere. He guessed that no human being had the ability to do that to a titan.

The Rogue Titan roared again. The other titan roared back as well. The Rogue Titan raised it's fist, ready to do it's thing.

Saoirse turned to Armin and Connie. "Boys! Look what it's gonna do!" she said.

All four watched the Rogue Titan prepare himself. The titan charged towards him, only to be punched. The four cadets noticed the Rogue Titan aimed for the nape, in which he punched. The impact caused the titan's head to remove and head towards the four.

" _Duck_!" Saoirse warned.

All four dodged in time for the head to smash against the tower. They all watched as the body fell to it's death. And he didn't regenerate. They noticed the Rogue Titan's hand injured, but it managed to regenerate fast. The titan's body tried to get up, but the Rogue Titan smashed it's nape with his feet.

"I-It just finished it off!" Armin said. "It knows exactly where the weak spot was!"

"Come on guys, time to split!" Connie instructed. "Last thing we needed was coming our way!"

"No..he has no reaction to us.." Armin said. "Any other titan would be on top of us right now."

"No kidding," Saoirse mumbled.

Mikasa stood still. "It seemed to understand the skill of hand to hand combat," she concluded. "What is that thing?"

Connie faced her. "Just talk it up as another abnormal," he disregarded the situation. "Hell there are always unpleasant surprises, right? Forget about it, let's get out of here."

Armin stopped him. "Wait a minute, hold on!" Armin said. "Mikasa's tanks are empty."

Saoirse glanced at hers. "Mine's almost out, so there's a big chance I would end up running out quick," she said.

Connie faced them. "Huh?! What are we gonna do?!" he asked. "We can't make it to HQ without your help!"

"There's only one thing to do," Armin said, removing his gas tank. "I know there isn't very much left in here, but it's better to use it."

Mikasa faced him. "Armin!" she pleaded.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Saoirse asked.

He removed the wires from it. "This is our only choice!" he said. "But it's gonna be a complete waste but...use this gas more sparingly...everyone's lives are riding on you."

Armin adjusted the tanks. "There, got it," Armin said. "The ODM gear's functional and I restocked your blades. Just-Just leave me this one, okay?"

"I don't know what to say..." Saoirse said, amazed by his idea.

Mikasa grabbed his remaining blade and threw it away. "W-Why'd you..." he asked in dismay.

Mikasa faced him. "Armin..." she said, putting her hand on his. "We will not leave you behind. "

"We're your friends Armin, I promised to protect both of you for Eren," Saoirse said.

Mikasa helped her friend up. Saoirse glanced at the Rogue Titan below.

 _What is he? Why is he against it's own kind? I have a feeling we're all gonna find out soon...and for some reason...he's so familiar...I can't shake this feeling that I don't know why it's oddly familiar but...I can't wrap my head around it._

* * *

 **Aaaaand it's done! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Give a fav, follow or review! Awinx out for now**


	8. Hearing the Heartbeat

Chapter 8: Hearing the Heartbeat

 **Sorry if I haven't updated, it's because of my vacation in my province ad the rest of the stupid schedules :I I'm really happy that a guest reviewer loved my story and motivated me to continue! I will give a shout out: Thank's a lot! It helps! Also, want to share a fact with you: Did you know I was obsessed with Tom Moore movies, like Secret if Kells and Song of the Sea?**

 **I was watching Song of the Sea when I needed a unique name for my SNK OC. I named my OC Saoirse after the girl from Song of the Sea, because it meant "freedom" and I feel like it's a good name for an Irish-German character. I'll fill you guys in with more facts later**

* * *

"There," Armin said as he tested out the gas mechanism on Mikasa's gear after he switched gas tanks with Saoirse and Connie watching. "Got it."

"The ODM Gear's functional and I restocked your blades," he told her. He picked his last blade up and stared at it. "Just...just leave me this one, okay? It's just that...would rather this be my end than to not being eaten alive."

Mikasa walked over to the boy, grabbed the blade from his hands and threw it away for it to fall below. "W-Why'd you..." Armin stammered.

"Mikasa, what are you-" Saoirse got cut off when her friend kneeled next to Armin.

She placed her hand on his. "Armin," she said.

The blonde boy faced her. "I will _not_ leave you behind." she said clearly.

" _We_ won't," Saoirse said as well, bending down next to him. "We're your friends, Armin. I promised to protect both of you for Eren."

He stared at them and stood up. "But...I mean-titans are everywhere," he said. "You can't jump and carry me on your back-"

Connie raised his face towards him. "Come on, let's move," he said bluntly, grabbing Armin's wrist.

Armin watched as his friends ran ahead of him. He paused for a minute, as if he had froze. He still couldn't forgive himself for letting Eren die, and now his friends were doing the favor of rescuing turned around to see the Rogue Titan roar. He figured that titan could be the easy way of making it to HQ instead of letting others die on his account. He got an idea.

He let his wrist go. "No!" he cried out.

Connie, Mikasa and Saoirse watched in complete dismay. "Hold on, I've got an idea," he told them.

"What is it then?" Connie asked.

Saoirse nervously looked around. "You better come up with one, real quick before titans surround us," she said.

"Only you three are capable of pulling this off so it's really your choice," he said. "This may sound crazy, but I think _he_ might be useful."

Armin's glance at the Rogue Titan made the three kids jump. "Woah, you mean the _titan?_ " Connie asked.

"He only attacks his own kind," Armin continued. "He seems to have _no_ interest in us. And what if-we can somehow stir him to HQ and let him loose on the other titans? Look, we know he's taken at least one whole out already, _we can use him as a weapon._ "

Connie stared at him as if he was a talking leperchaun. "You've got to be kidding...!" he replied. "How the hell you think we're supposed to stir that thing?"

Armin turned around. "Something tells me he's fighting on instinct," he told them. "I'm also sure if you take down the titan he's dangling with now he'll go look for others. That will lead him straight to HQ. We're not stirring him that much as luring him. I think it'll work I really do!"

" _Think?!_ You're asking to risk our knacks on a stupid gut feeling?!" Connie yelled.

"Oh give him a break, Connie!" Saoirse defended, raising her arm.

Armin turned to face him. "If I'm right about this, we can put down the secured headquarters in one swoop," he said.

Connie stared at his friend. He didn't know what he was getting into. "It's worth a shot," Mikasa said.

He faced her. "Seriously?!" he shrieked. He turned to Saoirse for defense. "Saoirse, you realize it's a life and death situation here, right?!"

"I'm with them, we have to trust our friend's gut feeling," she said.

"Better to take a gamble on Armin's gut feeling than wait around waiting to be slaughtered," Mikasa said. "If there's a decent shot than we'll take it.

"Oh come on!" Connie complained.

"Like Mikasa said Connie, it's worth a shot!" Saoirse said. "It's a _99%_ chance we'll make it using that bastard over there!"

Armin smiled at his friends. He knew this was a better way than depending on them.

"So basically we're gonna recruit a titan," Connie pieced it.

"Yes, exactly." Mikasa said.

Connie stared at them. He had no one to defend him, so he smirked at Armin. "We'll look like morons if we screw this up," he said.

Armin beamed. "Yeah, but.." he said. "If we don't, how many lives standing will be saved?"

Mikasa and Saoirse glanced at each other. "When there's a will, there's a way." Mikasa said, jumping and gliding.

"Let's _not_ screw this up, guys!" Saoirse called out, following her friend.

Armin followed them, leaving Connie to stare in dismay. "It's still nuts, but what the hell," he muttered, running to join them.

* * *

Janessa and her friends stared in horror as they watched their comrades eaten before their eyes. She gripped on her hand grip.

 _Why are we standing here in the first place? We should have saved their asses before they got chomped on. And also, there's no way we're gonna make it, those titans-waitwaitwait! What? They...we can glide away while these assholes are busy finishing their victim off. This is the perfect bet I guess. We just have to use our gas wisely while getting their to HQ._

"Let's go!" Jean suddenly called out, earning glances from him.

Janessa faced him. It was like he knew what she was thinking. "Make a break for HQ while they're distracted!" he instructed.

He jumped off the roof and started running on the next one. The others stared at Jean, before realizing this was their chance to get there before they get slaughtered. They followed him.

Keira walked beside Janessa. "I think he just read my mind," Janessa mumbled.

Her friend winked. "You bet he did." she said.

They both jumped into the next roof below and caught up with Jean and Marco, who were in front of them. They continued running until they reached the edge of the roof. "Give it everything you've got!" Jean cried out.

He leaped onto the next roof, followed by Marco, Janessa, Keira and the others. Meanwhile, Mikasa, Saoirse, Connie and Armin glided their way to HQ whilst luring the Rogue Titan. Mikasa sliced a nape of the titan. Connie was having a hard time carrying Armin, but he knew that one mess up, and they're dead. The Rogue Titan eventually saw the titans they passed and he started to beat them up. Everyone is making their way to HQ, with effort.

The Rogue Titan looked up and saw the titans swarming HQ. Back at the other side, Jean and his teammates glided throughout the district, praying their gas wouldn't go out. Jean and two other teammates passed by three titans. Suddenly, a titan grabbed his leg, but he sliced the fingers off, allowing him to escape. They glanced ahead of them, they were getting close.

Jean landed on a roof and started running, with Marco landing by his side, with Janessa and Keira landing beside them. "Jean!" Marco called out.

He faced his friend. "You really came through for us there man, we owe you big time!" he congratulated.

"He's right, ya'know," Janessa called out from the back. "All three of us will be the ones to serve you food when this crap's over!"

Keira giggled. "Don't shrug it off, I'm serious," Marco continued. "We're all proud because of you. Like I said, you make a _great_ leader!"

Jean smirked and he faced forward. "Easy with that crap, we're not out of this yet!" he said.

Jean shot his grappling hooks and started flying in the air. Titans tried to grab him, but due to his attentiveness, they were unsuccessful in doing so.

"We can do this Janessa, I know we can!" Keira said to her. "You just gotta believe!"

"Great motivation there!" Janessa replied.

A teammate glided forward when a titan grabbed him suddenly. He screamed for help. Jean looked back, but instead he faced forward and went faster than ever, not wanting to die trying. " _Dammit!"_ he shouted.

"We've got to save him!" Keira said.

"But we've got no time!" Janessa replied.

"Fine." Keira pouted, a little sad.

Jean jumped, and he crashed into the windows of HQ, rolling on his back from the impact. He had made it. He looked up to see if anyone made it. Marco and the others crashed in as well, falling from the impact. They made it.

Marco walked to Jean to talk to him when they heard a whooshing sound from outside the windows which weren't broken yet. " _INCOMING!"_ they heard before they realized Janessa and Keira crashed into the windows and landing on their feet, stumbling a bit.

Jean and Marco faced them. "You girls okay?" Jean asked.

Janessa rubbed dirt off her sleeve. "Still in one piece, I guess," she replied.

"We...we made it!" Keira cheered.

"Hell yeah!" Janessa raised her fist in the air. "We showed those good for nothing assholes we look stronger than we actually look!"

The girls high five, which made Marco and Jean smirk at them. They looked around. "How...how many of us made it..?" Jean asked nervously.

The girls looked around. "I guess many of us weren't able to make it," Janessa said sadly, with Keira nodding sadly as well.

Jean suddenly spotted two cadets sobbing under a table. He stared at them, and it all dawned on him. "Hold on a sec..." he said. "You guys were the supply team?"

He walked over to the guy under the table, grabbed his collar and punched him cold. The girl sitting under the table ran over her friend. Janessa and Keira's eyes widened at this sudden movement. Marco grabbed his friend by the arms. Janessa and Keira ran over to help Marco restrain Jean.

"Jean! Stop!" Marco demanded.

 _"You cowards! You left us out there on our own!_ " Jean screeched in anger. "People are dying cause you didn't have the guts to do your job!"

"Jean! Understand them and consideration, please!" Janessa pleaded.

"The titans were gonna get us from every angle!" The supply team girl explained whilst sobbing. "They all raided the supply room, okay?!"

"It's your job to deal with it and back us up anyway!" Jean replied, not caring.

Suddenly, Reiner heard a violent whoosh sound from outside. "Shit!" Janessa cursed, realizing it.

" _Hit the deck!"_ one warned.

Keira gasped. "Oh God no...!" she said.

Before they realized it, the walls at the end of the room was crashed open, sending boulders everywhere. Two titans had their faces peeking into the hole. _They have been found._

Keira jumped back from the impact, since she was near that area, falling on her back, shivering, hyperventilating and whimpering in fear. "Keira!" Marco cried out, helping her up.

" _Son of a-"_ Jean mumbled.

"We've been found!" Janessa cried out.

"There's too many people-they can smell us!" Jean said.

The cadets screamed and ran outside the room, not wanting to be eaten alive. "Run!" one cried out.

"Mikasa and Saoirse! Have you seen them?!" another one asked.

"They ran out of gas! Forget about them, they're dead!" his friend answered.

Jean and Janessa stared in horror at the sight before them. Janessa heard sniffles and turned to see Keira, crying in fear and burying her head into Marco's chest whilst hugging her tightly and rubbing her hair. "M-Marco...I-I'm scared..." she sobbed. "I don't want to die..."

Janessa stared again at the titans' faces in the hole. _I could have wished it was a dream but-but this is real. We were condemned to die in the first place anyways. Of course we were. It's all normal, I should have known you think about it, it's only simple once in a lifetime. It's the end of the line for us, and there's no way out of this now. I never even got to finish my confession to Jean. We are nothing but meaningless parasites living in hell we called our home._

She suddenly gasped. As if the whole world had slowed down in general, she saw a large fist push against the titan's faces in slow motion. Jean also gasped and watched the scene unfold before them. Everything was slow and hazy at the moment, before realizing what was happening.

" _WHAT?!_ " Jean and Janessa shrieked in unison upon realizing the fist had belonged to another titan and seeing that it punched the others. The Rogue Titan had made it's way to HQ. He roared at the two titans.

"Hey Jean..." Janessa said hazily. "Are you...seeing this? Or am I hallucinating from all the shit going around here?!"

"Y-You're not the only one," Jean replied.

"Hey...is that...?" Keira walked beside them along with Marco, watching the titan beat the other titans.

"That titan...i-it's finishing off it's own kind! How is that possible?!" Janessa screeched.

"Whatever it is, we better not jump to conclusions yet," Marco said.

"What the...my god.." Jean whispered.

All four couldn't believe what they were seeing for themselves. Just when they lost hope, perhaps hope in an unlikely form came to save their lives. Suddenly, they saw a shadow approach an unbroken window and crash through it, followed by three other shadows. Mikasa, Saoirse, Connie and Armin made it.

Jean gasped at them. "Mikasa, you're...!" he gasped.

"Mikasa...Saoirse!" Janessa cried out. "You guys are okay!"

Saoirse wiped off the dirt from her sleeve. "Glad we are," she sighed. "You guys okay?"

"Sorta," Keira replied.

Connie happily knocked his gas tank. "W-Woah, close one...!" he cheered. "I was running out of fumes. We made it here though, crazy, but but we did!"

Mikasa stood up, Jean watching in awe. He didn't notice Janessa groaning in jealously, even at a time like this. "You..I-Am I dreaming this or what?" he asked.

Connie happily patted Armin on his back. "You're a certified genius!" he cheered again. "From now on, as far as I'm concerned, your word is law."

He faced the others. "Check it out!" he stood up. "We found an Abnormal that's got a bone to pick with it's own kind!"

He pointed at the Rogue Titan. "And the best part; _he could care less about us!_ " he said excitedly.

"So, you're saying that titan's on our side?" Keira asked.

"If you put it that way, that's approximately correct," Saoirse replied.

"Holy shit," Janessa mumbled.

"That's right, you heard me!" Connie continued. "This big beautiful titan is our ticket out of here!"

Saoirse faced him. "Connie, save your glory tone for later," she replied. "But what matters now is that titan may have the audacity to finish all titans in the district off, and at that rate, we'll be able to make it over the wall."

"You mean like fighting fire with fire?" a cadet asked.

"I hate to say it-but this one's actually gonna be my first favorite titan, despite my hatred for them, but this is an exception!" Janessa said.

"Listen to yourself-a titan's not gonna help us!" Jean reprimanded.

"They have a point you know," Janessa tried to convince him. "That titan could be our only hope!"

"No one asked you to reprimand Janessa," Jean faced her and back to the others. "You're out of your mind if you think this could work-"

"It _is_ working," Mikasa murmured.

Jean faced her in awe. "For whatever reason he's rampaging against them," she continued. "Stand back and let him do it. Trust us. Either way; what choice do we have? Right now that thing is our best chance of survival."

"She's right you guys," Saoirse said. "Remember; we cannot use that titan for granted."

* * *

The Rogue Titan felt a titan approach him before he turned around and flipped it over his shoulder, letting it skid on his head. The cadets noticed the Rogue Titan's hand was regenerating.

"Look at him go," Connie said.

"Three quarters say that titan's gonna win!" Janessa cheered.

"This kind makes the others simply total weaklings." Connie said. The Rogue Titan punched another titan and kicked two five meter titans approaching him. Meanwhile, the lift was pulling up inside the storage room. "They're not gonna get in, nowt with him on a rampage back there."

"That's all really good," Reiner said. "But it's keeping him from turning from us when's done?"

"Guess we'll worry about that one when we're safe," Connie said.

"All we could do now is figure out a way to finish those titans downstairs swarming around the storage room," Janessa murmured.

"Armin's in charge of it," Connie replied.

"What a genius."

"Yeah, you're right," Reiner replied. "At least buying us a little time."

"Good news!" they heard Jean's voice call out as he and two others carried large crates. "Courtesy of the Military Police, and covered with a layer of dust."

Jean opened a crate and pulled out a rifle, and tested it out. Janessa shook her hands. "Woah woah woah! Be careful with that, you might shoot someone without knowing it," she warned.

"I know that," Jean replied. "Are you absolutely sure buck shot is the way to go? Seems like we might as well go stick pods. I mean come on guys. Are our guns even effective?"

"Might as well give it a shot," Janessa replied.

"I don't know, but they're bound to be better than nothing," Armin said.

He raised his head up. "We're looking at seven titans in the supply room of the four meters tall variety," he told them. "If we time this perfectly, this much ammo ought to to be enough to do the trick."

"Step 1: We lower a group into the area by a lift to get the titans' attention," Armin continued. "Step 2: When the titans come within range, the group fires in all four directions simultaneously, blinding them."

He paused and stared for a minute, showing hesitation of what he was gonna say. "Then the hard part; the moment of truth as it were," he said hesitantly. "Before the titans have time to recover, _eight_ of us will swoop down from the ceiling and strike their vital regions. That's it."

"That's the plan. Puts all our lives on the line, we screw up, we're dead," Armin continued. "It's hell of a risk for one attack, but it's our only chance."

The eight people in charge of slicing the vital regions; Mikasa, Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Jean, Connie, Sasha and Saoirse stared at their friend.

"Eight people will have to slay eight titans in one blow, at the same time," Armin looked down. "We're gonna need the best of you. The eight soldiers most physically gifted in the depth of their pairing blades, you'll be the difference between life and death for the rest of us. I'm sorry, that's how it is."

"Seems like a sound plan," Reiner assured.

"When you get right down to it, the rest is the same for everyone," Annie said. "Doesn't really matter who goes."

"All of us are sure we won't die, it's a fullproof plan," Saoirse said.

"L-Look I'm willing to be tucked out of this, but one half big strategy can be our only option, right?" Armin asked.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, come on with what we're looking at, cause for our only option, it's pretty well thought out," Marco assured. "If we give it our all, we might as well pull it off!"

Keira nodded. "Don't worry Armin, we've got your back!" she assured as well. "Out of all ideas, yours seems to be the perfect one, since we're all tapped out."

"Don't doubt yourself dude, you were born to be a strategist," Janessa said.

"It'll be fine, you just have to be confident," Mikasa said. "You're a better strategist then give yourself credit for it."

Armin's eyes widened. "Besides, this is the only option we have," Saoirse assured. "It's worth a shot. It may be a 99% chance we'll pull this off."

"We're serious," Mikasa said. "That mind saved Eren more than once."

Hearing his name made Saoirse look down, but Mikasa placed her hand on her shoulder to assure her. "When did I ever save _you two?_ " Armin asked. "That's not-"

The lift had arrived, interrupting Armin. "Alright, the lift's ready to go!" one cadet said. "Guns are loaded to the stocks. Let's go kill some titans."

Mikasa and Saoirse helped Armin up. "You didn't realize it at that time," Mikasa said. "We can talk about it later."

She walked away, and Saoirse winked. "Good luck." she whispered, with Armin smirking when she walked away.

* * *

The eight cadets in charge of the slashing made their way to the ceiling. "Okay, I'm gonna ask the obvious question: Can we do this without ODM gear?" Connie asked.

"It's worth a shot," Saoirse replied.

"No problem, these guys are only four meters tall, their weak spots are not too far above eye level, at least," Reiner said.

"You're right, size won't be an issue," Jean said. "The spot's still only one meter high and ten centimeters across."

"Back of the head to the nape of the neck!" Sasha reminded herself.

"Worse comes to worse you can always shove one of these up their ass," Reiner said. "That's the other weak spot."

"Are you serious?" Connie asked. "It's news to me."

"Did I miss a day of training or something?" Sasha asked.

"I've never read that in a book or something that provides the current information about them," Saoirse said.

"Come on, knock it off Reiner," Jean said. "You want your final words to be an ass joke?"

"Be careful what you say Reiner, any word could be your last." Saoirse said.

* * *

Eight titans swarmed around the HQ, looking for humans to devour. The lift filled with the cadets slowly made their way down, shaking with nervousness. They had to do this right, or they'll be titan chow.

" _Good_ ," Marco whispered. " _We're still at eight._ "

They all loaded their rifles to make the titans notice the sound and approach them, according to plan. Janessa and Keira were part as well.

" _Okay, now nice and easy,_ " Marco whispered, aiming his rifle.

" _I hope this works,_ " Janessa said under her breath.

They saw a titan come across them, before turning it's head towards them. A cadet silently screamed and Keira immediately started hyperventilating loudly. "Don't lose your cool! Fire only when they're all within range!" Marco said.

Keira silenced her hyperventilation and she did the latter quietly. The titan slowly began to walk towards them. "Steady..." Marco instructed.

The eight cadets were on the ceiling, ready to slice some napes. They adjusted theirselves in a staggered position whilst holding their swords, like a starting position when swimming. Their hearts beat at a rapid pace and sweat ran down their faces, showing signs of great nervousness.

 _This is it, no screw ups, our lives our depending on this._ Saoirse said in her mind.

The eight titans slowly surrounded the cadets in the lift. "Steady..." Marco whispered nervously. Now their faces were closer. One of the cadets began to whimper loudly. "Almost..." Marco placed his finger around the trigger, ready to fire anytime, with the other cadets placing their finger on the trigger as well. Janessa was sweating heavily, and Keira's hyperventilation grew intense. The cadets' prayed inside theirselves. Their hands shook. The titan's eyes were now close to the rifles. "... _fire!_ "

The cadets immediately pulled the trigger and shot the eyes of the titans quickly, succeeding the first step. As planned, the titans got blinded from the shot and covered their eyes in pain. Seeing the signal, the eight soldiers got up from their staggering position, ran forward and jumped in the air behind the titans. Mikasa successfully sliced the nape of a titan. Saoirse raised her blades and efficaciously sliced the nape and landed on her feet. "I've got it!" she said.

"How are you guys?" Mikasa asked.

Reiner, Bertolt, Jean and Annie landed on their feet safely and moved out of the way when the titan's body fell to the ground dead. They had cut the nape too. Unfortunately, Connie and Sasha missed the napes of their respective titans.

The two titans turned to see the two teens staring in horror, as they realized they failed to slice the nape. Sasha walked backwards in fear. "H-H-Hi...sorry...I didn't..." she tried to apologize, her voice breathless in fear.

"Oh crap!" Connie cried out.

"I didn't mean to sneak up on you..!" Sasha tried again.

"Sasha and Connie missed!" Bertolt screeched.

"Lead up the hell back!" Jean barked.

Sasha was crying already, knowing this was the end of her life. " _Sasha look out!_ " Keira shrieked.

" _I...I..._ " The titan leaped towards her, but Sasha barely dodged in time. " _I'm sorry!"_ she pleaded.

She turned around to see Saoirse slice the titan's legs and Mikasa slice the nape, whilst Annie finished the titan after Connie. Their lives had been saved before they even got lost.

" _Mikasa! Saoirse!_ " Sasha yelled up to them in relief as they walked over to her. _"You two have saved my life!"_

"Are you okay?" Mikasa asked.

"Hurt or anything?" Saoirse questioned.

Sasha was sobbing hysterically. "Mikasa and Saoirse because of you I am.."

"Then get up." Mikasa said bluntly.

"Pull yourself together." Saoirse said, helping her friend up.

They did it. They finished the titans and their plan was a success. Now's the perfect chance to refuel their gear and make their way over the wall.

"I owe you one," Connie thanked Annie.

"No worries." Annie replied.

"Wow, by the skin of your teeth, damn lucky you didn't end up soft," Reiner said, only in her walking away.

"They're all dead!" Jean said. "Start loading up supplies!"

They all beamed in excitement, only for Marco to fall, out of relief and shock.

"Marco!" Keira cried in concern.

* * *

The cadets happily refueled their gas tanks. "We're gonna make it! We're gonna live!" a cadet cried in happiness.

"Oh thank heavens," Keira said happily.

"Jean!" Janessa called out to him.

The horsefaced boy turned to see her running towards him and tackling him into a hug. "You did it! We did it!" she said excitedly.

Jean laughed lightly and smiled, hugging her back. "I guess we did," he said.

Janessa, realizing what she was doing, she blushed and she pulled away quickly, brushing her red-orange hair locks out of her face. "J-Jean, I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hug you," she apologized sincerely.

"Hey, my best friend shouldn't be ashamed to hug out of joy," Jean flirted. "Just so happens we did it."

Saoirse, seeing her friend hug Jean reminded her of Eren again, since she won't be hugging him again. Keira placed her hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry Saoirse," she said. "He'll always be here. In your heart."

Sasha finished refueling her gas tank and still sobbed over the fact that she almost got killed. "I caved...in front of the whole gang..." she said breathlessly. "I'm never gonna able gonna to face any of them again!"

"Dammit! Feel sorry for yourself later, and focus on escape!" Connie shouted, trying to get her senses together.

Jean and Marco were fueling gas tanks together whith Janessa and Keira.

"Listen man, what you said about me being a leader and all, don't talk to me like that again, alright?" Jean said.

"Come on, you'd make a great one, don't doubt yourself," Janessa tried.

"Promise me you're not taking this the wrong way," Marco said, fueling up more gas tanks. "But I don't think you're a good leader cause you're strong. I think you're a good leader cause you know what it is to be weak."

Jean faced his buddy. "You're one of us," the freckled boy continued. "You're scared out of your mind, just like we all are. It makes you alert, sympathetic."

Jean's eyes widened at his friend. Marco faced him. "You made a damn good call out there, cut me running from my life," he continued. "You're why I can say this."

Jean stared in shock at his friend, who was smiling brightly. Jean turned to the girls and nodded. Janessa faced Keira. "Did you hear that Keira?" she said. "Your little freckled pretty boy had just convinced my horseface boy about bravery. Cool, huh?"

Keira fanned herself, believing it would reduce the redness in her face. "Oh stop it," she said, realizing her friend was teasing her of Marco.

"But you two should like, kiss already!" Janessa suggested.

Keira only smirked and hit the top of Janessa's head with her fist. "Ow!" she cried out, reaching for her head, with Keira laughing.

Keira leaned closer to Janessa with a look of tease. "But what about horse-face~?" she asked. "Surely chances tell me that you'll get to smooch his horse face soon, right?"

Janessa blushed and playfully nudged Keira.

"Come on," she muttered.

* * *

The cadets finally refueled their gas tanks and they glided away again to reach the wall and get to safety. "Ready people? Let's do this!" one said, and all the cadets triggered their gear and flew in the air to reach the wall.

Armin ran outside to see the cadets fly away. "Mikasa!" he called out, noticing she landed on the roof. He shot his grappling hook and glided to the roof, with Saoirse following. They both landed and tried to get her into her senses.

"What are you doing?" Armin asked. "We have to leave, _now!_ "

"Look down there," Mikasa answered in fear.

Armin and Saoirse turned to where she was facing and gasped at the sight of it. "Oh...god..." Saoirse mumbled.

The titans were devouring the Rogue Titan, all different sizes. It couldn't move, and all he could do is twitch his head. Armin stared in shock.

"Can he not regenerate like the others...?" he asked.

"At this rate..." Saoirse mumbled. "He'll be finished off quickly!"

"This may sound stupid, but I was hoping he'd be the key for us, that he'd help mankind break the cycle, devour them to get us time for a little ray of hope..." Mikasa said.

"She's right." Reiner's voice called out to them. Bertolt, Annie, Jean and Janessa were with him as well.

"It's too valuable to just let it die, there's too much we can learn from it," Reiner continued. "I think it's perfectly clear that priority should be worth the scavengers' often. He's no good to us to picked apart."

"Should we help it?" Janessa asked.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Jean cried out. "We've got a path out of this nightmare and you wanna stay?!"

"Think about it," Annie replied. "Having an Abnormal as an _ally_ would be an incredible advantage, right? The cannon's got nothing on a titan who likes to rip apart his own kind."

Jean widened his eyes. "Do yourself?" he asked. "He's not like a new friend!"

Armin heard stomping and a familiar sight greeted him. "Oh no...it's the one that ate Thomas!" he recalled.

Suddenly, the Rogue Titan lifted himself up and started charging forward, trying to shake off the titans on him. He did, but it resulted in removing his arms, because it was getting eaten by the other titans.

"Look at it, go!" Saoirse said.

The Rogue Titan charged towards the titan that ate Thomas and he bit it's nape like how a vampire bites his victim. Saoirse, Mikasa, Armin, Janessa, Jean, Reiner, Annie and Bertolt stared in shock. It raised the titan in the air with his mouth and flipped it on it's legs. Another titan approached it, only for the Rogue Titan to throw the abnormal at the other one.

"Woah," Jean mumbled.

The Rogue Titan roared again. His arms and half of his torso was ripped apart. "Is that what we're seeing?" Jean asked.

Suddenly, the Rogue Titan fell to the ground. Armin gasped at this impact. It must have finished the job.

"W-What...?" Janessa muttered under her breath.

"Cause I think it's a mute point now," Jean continued, moving back to his question. He turned around. "Alright, enough of this, let's leave while we can."

No response. "We're lucky the ugly bastard didn't get bored," he murmured. "We've been next on the menu."

"Jean! Look over here!" Janessa called out.

His eyes widened and headed over to them. All cadets were staring at it's body. "Look, a titan's a titan," Jean tried to point out.

Steam was coming everywhere from where the Rogue Titan was injured. A hole was spotted on the nape of the titan. From inside, they could see a _person._ Suddenly, the person was released from the skin of the titan's body and he raised himself up, allowing the cadets to see who it was. Mikasa gasped at the sight. Saoirse turned pale upon seeing who it was, gasping. Her heart beat at a rapid pace again and her body went numb. She was panting heavily, realizing the person was someone whom no one ever expected to come back to life.

" _Eren?_ " Saoirse said breathlessly. " _Is that you..?"_

Mikasa leaped off the roof, realizing who it was also. "Mikasa!" Armin cried out.

Saoirse stepped forward. "Saoirse, what are you-" Janessa's sentence was cut off when she leaped off the roof and started following Mikasa.

The brunette stopped in her tracks, seeing her friend hold her brother tightly. She saw Mikasa place her head on Eren's chest. _Thump, thump._ Mikasa then began to sob loudly, as she was relieved to see her brother alive and showing she isn't just a protective sister.

Saoirse fell to her knees, with eyes larger than saucers and she was trembling, as tears slowly made her way to her face. It spilled down, and the rest aboce could hear Saoirse and Mikasa's sobs over Eren. Armin made his way down and started running to Mikasa when he saw Saoirse, looking terrified and relieved at the same time. He walked over to her and helped her up, before the two walked over to Mikasa and Eren.

* * *

On top of HQ, Mikasa continued to sob over her brother, while a sobbing Saoirse watched the whole scene. She walked over, tears spilling uncontrollably out of her eyes and grabbed Eren's right hand. She placed her head on it, and she heard multiple thumps. He was alright. She buried her face into his hands and cried loudly than ever, louder than Mikasa. Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Jean and Janessa realized Saoirse's sobbings were louder because she has loved Eren more than anyone else in the whole world.

Janessa raised her hand up, but Jean grabbed it, telling Janessa that Saoirse needed time. She watched her best friend sadly.

 _It's him.._ Armin stared in shock at his friend. _But...his arm...his leg...I don't understand...! I watched him get eaten...I watched him die..I saw..._

Armin began to sob as well, tears spilling down from his eyes uncontrollably like a waterfall. He grabbed Eren's left hand and gripped on it tightly.

" _H-How is this...possible...?"_ Armin choked through tears.

Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Jean and Janessa watched as the three friends sobbed over to the friend they thought they had lost forever. "No way..." Janessa mumbled.

Jean faced the town's direction, and the others noticed, excluding Saoirse, Mikasa and Armin, who were having a bittersweet reunion with an unconscious Eren.

"So it means..." Janessa murmured.

"...Eren...did all this..?" Jean finished her sentence, staring at the disintegrated titans below.

* * *

 ***sniff* what a sad ending to this chapter, I know...let's all be happy Saoirse reunited with her one true love...now excuse me I'll go share name facts tomorrow and work on the next chapter while sobbing...uwu**


	9. The Left Arm's Trace

Chapter 9: The Left Arm's Trace

 **I can't believe I saw the Angry Birds Movie last Sunday, so many laughs and people in the theater XD. I just realize not many people are reading this, it's okay, I understand. because either this story has huge spoilers/know what happens or they don't like OC stories, but I appreciate the reviews and support though. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Trost was still in utter chaos, after the Rogue Titan fell and the person who controlled it was revealed to be none other than Eren, who was pretty much alive, much to Saoirse, Mikasa and Armin's relief. However, what's missing is that the Scout Regiment were on their latest expedition outside the wall, with them leaving this morning when our quartet and Hannah and Franz watching along with the other citizens.

* * *

 _"Look! It's Captain Levi!" a citizen called out._

 _The said Captain was riding on his horse with such a deadpanned expression, as if nothing mattered to him. He possessed black, fountain hair and narrow, steel eyes. But one thing funny about him is that he is very short, estimated about five feet or so. He was between a tall man with a mustache and a tall woman with messy, brown hair tied into a ponytail and wore glasses. However, he's not the only one short. The girl behind him was shorter, much to his relief._

 _"Tch, spare me please," Levi grumbled._

 _The strawberry-blonde haired girl bit her lip and chuckled. The brown haired squad leader turned her head to the short man. "That scowl will crush your fans, not that it's any of my business, but due to the relationship standards, you might wanna like them," she pointed out. He scoffed in reply._

 _The gate opened, making way for the Scouts. They stopped for a minute for crowd effect. "Look! The threshold of Detania!" the brown haired four eyes said. She clasped her hands in excitement. "Can you just envision the horror that's in store for us, comrades? I'm on pins and needles!"_

 _"With an Abnormal, tears are filled with joy-hahaha!" she said in excitement._

 _"I-I don't really think you should be that excited even though it hasn't begun yet...," the strawberry haired girl said quietly._

 _"I think you've seen the craziest Abnormal already," Levi said._

 _The squad leader tilted her head around, looking for the said abnormal. "What? Seriously where?" she asked._

 _While her head was turned, Levi reached over and grabbed her hair, forcing her to face him. "I mean you." Levi said._

 _The strawberry haired girl covered her giggles with her fist._

 _"Move out!" a soldier called out._

 _With that, the Scouts moved into the outer fields to go battle titans again._

* * *

Unfortunately, the Scouts' expedition lost a number of soldiers again, like always. Sure, they were a strong regiment, but one of the biggest disadvantages of it is the number of losses thought out the expeditions. A squad had ended up getting killed, with one remaining in almost eaten.

"O-One day...you'll all just...be a bad memory..." a soldier choked out as he was chomped on by a titan, with it's mouth on his stomach. He raised his head up and raised his blades. "Mankind will destroy all of you...mark my words..last one standing... _will be us!"_

He stabbed his blade through the titan's cheek, resulting in it chomping on the soldier's stomach harder, blood spilling everywhere and screaming loudly in pain.

"Because you know why...y-you bastard..." he managed to spit out. "..y..yes... _wait till Captain Levi-_ "

As if one cue, a grappling hook landed on a titan, and before it knew it, a flash of black and green slashed it's nape, saving the soldier. He turned to see Captain Levi, swirling in the air from the impact and landing on the roof. The titan fell on the ground, throwing the soldier from the mouth. Levi walked over and glanced at the other titans below.

"One on the right...two on the left," he counted.

Just then, two girls landed beside him, followed by other men. One of those two girls was the strawberry haired one we saw earlier and another one, which was the same height as her and donned short, ginger hair with brown eyes.

"Captain! The reinforcements are here, sir!" the ginger reported.

Levi turned to them. "Good. Tend to our comrade below, Petra and Rosemary," he instructed. "You two, take out the titans to the right. _The pair on the left belongs to me._ "

He ran for the ledge. "Captain wait-" Petra and Rosemary called out in unison, before he glided towards the left side for the titans. Roseamary sighed. "Let's go," she said.

Petra faced her and followed her down. They searched the area for the soldier until they saw him laying on his back, bleeding eternally. It looked like he wasn't gonna make it, no matter how much treatment it would take.

The two girls ran to the fallen soldier and knelt beside him. Petra faced her friend. "Check his heartbeat," she ordered.

"Right," Rosemary replied.

She leaned her head on his chest, and let out a silent gasp. It was slowing down. She faced the ginger with wide eyes. "His heartbeat...it's slowing down.." she said.

Petra looked at the soldier. "We'll try to stop the bleeding," she said. "You go to that side Rosemary. I'll take care of this one."

Rosemary faced the soldier. "H-Hang in there, we'll do as much as we can to save you," she assured.

"T..T...Thank y...you..." he choked.

Petra reached into her pocket and pulled out two white handkerchiefs, and handed the other one to Rosemary. "Use this, you don't want your hands dirty," she said.

Rosemary grabbed it and pressed it down on the other side of the wound, whilst Petra pressed hers down on the center of the wound. The two did all they can to stop the bleeding, but no matter how much they press, the blood seemed to continue spilling all over.

"The bleeding..it won't stop," Petra said, raising her head to face Rosemary.

The strawberry haired girl sighed in agreement and faced him. "He-He's not gonna make it...," she said sadly.

They heard footsteps approach them and they saw Levi walking towards them, staring down at the comrade.

"Captain..." Rosemary started.

"We...we can't stop the bleeding..." Petra explained.

" _Cap...tain..._ " the soldier called out in a weak voice.

Levi walked over and knelt beside him. "I'm here."

"... _did...I...ugh..."_ he choked, from the pain, raising his hand up. " _...m..make myself...useful...for...humanity...?"_

Levi clasped his hand on the soldier's bleeding, cold hand. "We've made great strikes today, young soldier," he said with discipline. "And tomorrow, because of you. Your strength won't die with you. The torture will be carried on..by me. Cause I swear, on my very life, _the titans will be eradicated!_ "

The blood dripped from the soldier's hand and into Levi's. He didn't respond. "Sir..," Rosemary said, sighing deeply, about to cry.

Petra's tears spilled down and closed her eyes. "We're sorry...but he's..." she said sadly.

Levi's narrow eyes widened a little and let out a tiny gasp. He bit his lip and faced the girls. "Did the man have to hear anything I said, any of it?" he ask.

Petra and Rosemary opened their eyes and unison and faced the soldier. "Yes sir," Petra replied. "Matter of fact we think he heard all of it, look at him. _That's a face at peace."_

Rosemary smiled weakly. "He...he's going to a place where there's no titans nor suffering." she said, whilst sobbing.

It was true of what she said. The bright side is that he'll be going to a place better than earth, a world where suffering never exists or grief and sadness, all was peace and quiet. There are no titans there, pretty much he was lucky to go up to that particular said, and he died willingly. Levi stared at him before closing his eyes and standing up. "Let's go." he ordered.

Rosemary sniffled, and Petra placed her hand on her friend's soldier to comfort her. She smiled and wiped away her tears. She couldn't get over how many deaths she had seen, being the timid girl.

Rosemary was known as the kindest soldier in the Scout Regiment. She always had a sheer, smile on her face, but she often wears a worried or serious expression. But the one thing everyone admired her about is her extreme shyness. She would often stutter, stammer, say things quietly or whisper it to strangers. Many men had a crush on her, but the only person for her in her love life was standing in front of her and Petra. Her kindness was earned easily from others and shows respect, never answers back. Her kindness also led to her being friends with Petra and Squad Leader Hange Zoe, the one with glasses, and she also earned respect from Mike Zacharius and Commander Erwin Smith, even she gained Levi's respect and he was the closest person to her since he first joined, and she was his assistant.

Hardly anyone knew she loved plants and animals, hence why she loves the outdoors, even a rumor was stated that Rosemary took care of a lost kitten from outside the walls and kept it. However, no one dared to make her angry because she is scary when she's angry and acts violently, showing her aggressive side, and mentioning that she doesn't jump to conclusions, and she hardly introduces herself to strangers because of her shyness.

"Levi." a deep voice called out, and the short captain turned to see Commander Erwin Smith approach the three of them with the other soldiers. "We're pulling out."

Petra and Rosemary stood up with a surprised look as if they were told a titan was singing. "Sir?" Petra questioned.

"Huh?" Rosemary asked.

Levi glared at him. "What do you mean? You damn well know we can push further," he said bluntly and turned to him. "My men didn't die to pay for retreat."

Erwin stayed calm. "There's a swarm of titans moving north," he explained. "They're burying down on the city."

Petra's eyes widened and Rosemary gasped, covering her mouth in horror, whilst Levi didn't show emotion, indicating he's processing this inside.

"Oh my God," she gasped.

Erwin faced his soldiers. "It's just like five years ago," he recalled. "Something tells me this is gonna be bad. For all we know the wall's already been reduced to rubble."

Rosemary looked down.

* * *

The last thing Eren remembered before thinking he got devoured was his friend Armin, reaching out from him. He didn't know whether he was dreaming and asleep, or he is really asleep. He first thought he was dead, never to see his sister or his friend, even missing the chance to admit his feelings to Saoirse. But when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a flashback.

* * *

 _Eren slowly opened his eyes, one at a time, before realizing the surroundings around him are bloody red. He wasn't sure whether he was in hell or not, but when he looked down, he screamed. Bodies were everywhere and he was in a pool of blood. It felt sick, he felt sick. He was scared. He had failed to complete his mission of eradicating titans until none was left, he even missed his chance of saying his feelings to Saoirse._

 _"This...this isn't real..!" he attempted to assure._

 _Images of his success before he got eaten flashed back in his head. "We were...we were ready...we..the kids...we trained..." he gasped. "This isn't gonna lead us straight anymore...we knew how to beat them..! How did I survive?"_

 _"Help...me...it's so hot..." a woman's voice called out._

 _Eren looked back nervously and saw a girl's head._

 _"I need to go home...mom will be worried...I wish she will know..." she continued._

 _Images of his mother came back to his mind._

 _"Mom...oh, mom..." Eren said._

 _The girl's head went straight back into the pool of blood. "Help me...please..." she called out one last time._

 _Eren's eyes began to water._

 _How is it come to this..? Why was everything meant to be taken from us? Our lives...our dreams...I never even got to tell Saoirse how I feel about her..._

 _"...everything..." he finished his thoughts with a lump on his throat from crying._

 _"...damn you...damn you all to hell...!" he shouted, raising his decapitated arm. "I refuse to die like this! I'll drive them all out! Tear them with my bare hands! Do you hear me? With my bare hands!"_

 _At first, it seemed no use. Suddenly, a large hand erupted from the Bearded Titan's mouth, spitting blood. It fell down to the ground. The back began to move violently, until the back of the Bearded Titan exploded, blowing blood everywhere. Eren, has become a titan. He stood up, ready to test his new found power._

 _He opened his mouth and roared for the first time. Another titan approached him, making Eren face it. He started to make it's way towards the titan, stepping on the nape of the Bearded Titan, ending his life there._

 _This isn't your world...not anymore._

 _The seven meter titan leaped towards Eren but he punched the mouth with his fist._

 _I'll kill every last one of you._

 _The seven meter titan fell back, bleeding from the pain. Eren walked over and raised his foot._

 _Get up._

 _He stomped on the nape._

 _Get up..._

 _He stomped on it again._

 _Let me do that again, and again, and again!_

 _He repeatedly continued stomping, as if he was a large baby which was stomping his foot hard in a tantrum. He stopped, and stared at the body._

 _You're mine...all of you._

* * *

" _You're all gonna die..._ " Eren muttered.

Armin stared at him in utter shock whilst holding his friend's body. Eren was talking in his sleep.

"..Eren..?" Armin asked nervously.

Eren slowly widened his eyes, slowly going back to reality and gasped at what's in front of them. Garrison Soldiers were aiming their guns and cannons directly at him, having to misunderstood his sentence. Had Eren not talked in his sleep, this wouldn't happen now.

Mikasa turned around and was relieved to see Eren awake. "You alright...?" she asked.

Saoirse turned around. "Eren...?"

"S..Saoirse..?"

Saoirse instantly broke into tears upon seeing Eren awake after Mikasa brought him out of his titan body, he's all right. The past few hours had been heartache and burden, as she was convinced that she would never see Eren again unless she dies-and now here he was, alive and well, lying on the ground, like nothing ever happened.

" _Eren!_ " Saoirse cried to him. She was never this happy, but her emotions took over and tears spilled out of her eyes.

Eren looked around hazily and tried to make out what she said. "Saoirse...I'm so glad you're alright.." he said.

The girl bent down to him and wrapped her arms around his ribs and cried into his chest. " _Eren! You're here! You're alive! I'm so happy you're alright!"_ she sobbed. " _You're actually alive and well! I've never been so happy to see someone in my entire life!"_

Eren was still panting and exhausted from what happened but he still found the strength. He hugged her back tightly. "It's good to see you to Saoirse," he huffed.

Mikasa interrupted their bittersweet reunion. "This isn't the best time for moments like this," she said, facing the two of them. "We've got company."

Saoirse hesitantly removed herself from Eren. "Sorry Eren..I don't know what came over me," she apologized, trying to ignore the fire inside her face.

"No, it's okay," he assured.

Armin smiled at their reunion and faced him. "Look at me Eren, hey, can you move?" he asked. "Do you hear me? Say something!"

"Listen you've got to tell them everything, they're terrified but they'll understand!" he said.

"They heard you," Saoirse told him.

"Armin what...?" Eren mumbled.

"Catch that? He said we're all gonna die!" A Garrison soldier said.

"There's not much else he can make of that," another one said. "Son of a bitch wants to eat us, you watch!"

Eren looked around nervously. He noticed that the soldiers were aiming at him with their swords pointed and cannons and guns aimed directly at him. Kitz Woerman, who was one of the soldiers, he looked at him in fright. _They were terrified of Eren._

* * *

In the inner districts, the cadets were safe there. "I want you all cadets on stand by, look sure!" a leader ordered.

"If we haven't found the gas..we wouldn't have never gotten out of Trost," Connie explained to Ymir and Krista. "Basically we got lucky, that's it."

Ymir and Krista stared at him. "That sounds terrible," Krista said. "I'm so sorry, we all volunteered to hand out supplies to everyone but the situation was so bad."

"We even found some gas we were gonna dull out to you guys, but everything went to hell," Ymir told him.

"So, you're saying, everyone who isn't here now did not...you know," the blonde goddess piped up.

Connie looked down. "Yeah..." was all he could say.

They both sighed in sadness. "Wait, what about Mikasa, and Saoirse?" Ymir asked.

"No no, they're both good, they made it in after us, the group Jean led," the buzz cut boy told her.

"Hey Jean, where in the world's Mikasa and Saoirse?" Ymir asked Jean, who was sitting away from them with Janessa, Annie, Bertolt and Reiner.

"Did both of them get hurt or what?" Ymir continued to ask.

"We don't tell you everything," Janessa mumbled under her breath.

"Hey, talk to us," Connie called out.

Jean faced them. He raised his water chug and drank from it, before putting it down to talk to them. "I'd tell you if I could...," he started. "They slapped us with a gag order."

"Woah, you're joking right?" Connie asked.

"That's nuts," Ymir said.

"Fair nuts if they think people aren't gonna talk, or it'll get out," Jean continued. "And when it does...well that is...if we survive..."

* * *

The soldiers above the wall were busy staring at the titans who were desperate to climb over to reach the humans.

"You've gotta hand it to the engineering coir for putting the heap on a rancid titan course," Hannes told his friend. "It's supposed to be good use, I suppose. Still just a barricade though. We can't get too comfortable."

He looked down. "Stay on your toes, whatever happens next is about to happen now, this is the proverbial line in the sand," he faced his friend. "Hey something wrong?"

"Sir, my apologies I completely agree," his friend looked scared. "I'm just...a little preoccupied about my friends in the vanguard." he raised his head up. "There's a messenger all the way to HQ with this look on his face."

"Kid, difficulties may be you've got to tangle your mind to stay focused on what's here in front of us," Hannes assured.

"Is it true what they say about you saving those kids five years ago, sir?" his friend asked. "They're cadets now, right? Won't they be at the vanguard too?"

Hannes hesitated. "That's right."

The soldier widened his eyes. "I'm really sorry sir, don't know why I felt the need to bring it up," he apologized.

"They're good," Hannes responded, earning a look from the soldier. "Some tough little bastards. Believe me, they know what it takes to stay alive. One of them is just the best fighter I've ever seen. Also so stubborn it can drive you crazy. Loads of inner strength, and their friend's a certifiable genius. And one of them is the daughter of my friend, who fights like her father."

He raised his head up. "They'll be fine. Not a doubt in my mind."

* * *

"Cadet Eren Yeager! Mikasa Ackerman! Saoirse Hillman! And Armin Arlert!" Kitz called out to them. "The four of you joined the committed intact of high treason!"

"One word allowed to swift to execution is a result depends on you!" the bearded captain finished.

Eren's eyes widened. "What?" he asked nervously.

"Any attempt to move or where you stand now, anything I deem the least bit suspicious will be met with cannon fire! _Do not test me!"_ Kitz threatened. " _Answer carefully! Eren Yeager! What exactly are you, human, or titan?"_

Eren grew nervous by the minute. He was hesitant to answer, because neither of those questions seemed to be easy to answer, and he knew one wrong word will lead to them being blasted brutally. "I'm sorry, sir! I don't understand!" Eren cried out.

Saoirse mentally slapped her head.

"Son of a bitch is playing innocent," Kitz mumbled. "Answer me damn you! And that face wouldn't get you nowhere!"

"Don't try to stall and pretend your ignorance!" the captain barked. "You won't stand a chance! You'll be blown to hell before you can even assume your true form!"

"What true form...?" Eren asked, with Saoirse mentally slapping her head again.

"Please! You're assuming what happened!" Kitz answered. "You've emerged from the crocus of the fallen titan in full view of your comrades!"

"A creature of unknown origin, ability, or a leisure to slip through an infiltrated Wall Rose, and that creature is _you!_ " Kitz continued yelling like a lunatic. "Under the circumstances, you're being sanctuary by his majesty, with him over there! You are a risk, and I will attempt my rights to eliminate! _I will not let the situation stand!_ Every moment I stand crawling over your supposed innocence, put us all in jeopardy from the attack by the Armored Titan! Hell, for all I know you're attached to the first thing that advertises our purpose! I'm sorry, humanity's fate hangs on the balance, I cannot waste any more time with my power on you. Do you understand?! My conscience will watch you die!"

"Nor should it, as soldiers they all know the prize of their position, and thus they're committed defiance of their deaths, so be it," Rico Brzenska, a squad leader commented. "They won't be persuaded, and as you say, it's just a waste of time."

"That's _not_ happening!" Saoirse shouted suddenly. She stood up abruptly.

"Saoirse, no-!" Eren tried to reach out, but it was too late.

"Young lady, I would appreciate it if you don't try to reprimand us into not shooting this...that thing!" Kitz called out.

"I said, it's _not_ happening," Saoirse said bluntly. "For your information, we don't even know since this is the first time this happened, and yet you would go with the guts to shoot when we don't even know? That's what you do, huh? Shoot people right away when they weren't even given the goddamn time to explain the reason? Hell, most people shoot people who can shift into titans because _you've_ never seen one, and I can assume that the only instruction your mind gives is shoot innocent people when they haven't fully explain everything!"

" _Don't be be smart with me missy! You're also one of those people in that goddamn explanation of yours!"_ Kitz yelled. "I've had enough of this!"

Saoirse bent down and clutched herself on Eren. "I'm so sorry guys, I tried to, but now thanks to me, it's all my fault, we're gonna be blown to pieces," she said.

"Hey, it's not your fault, you tried to convince them, but the thing is that we'll see each other when we get blown," Eren assured, with Armin nodding.

"I guess so." Saoirse mumbled.

"Sir, please! This may be our best chance!" a soldier said. "We'll expand far less artillery in his human form!"

" _Excuse me,_ " Mikasa said bluntly, walking over, grasping on her blades.

"Mikasa...no...!" Saoirse called out.

"I wouldn't, not while I'm standing here," Mikasa threatened. "Unless anyone's feeling up to the task, in which case, well, I'll be happy to demonstrate my own technique, on _you._ And every last inch of your traitor's flesh."

She stood in front of her friends, raising her blades and showing she would really slash them to ribbons if any of them come closer. Ian Dietrich, who was standing beside Kitz, he leaned over to him.

"Sir, there's something you should know," he mumbled. "She and Hillman were assigned to the elite squad of training, equal to a hundred soldiers easily. If we lost both of them, it'd be quite the tragedy."

Saoirse clutched on Eren's arm tightly in fear, whilst Armin did the same. "Okay, somebody talk to me now!" Eren demanded. "The hell is all this?!"

Armin and Saoirse stood up. "Mikasa!" Armin said. "You can't take them all on! Even if you took down a few, there's no where left for you to run!"

"You can't do this! They'll blast you right away, and there's no way in escaping the cannons!" Saoirse reprimanded.

Mikasa faced them. "Whoever comes at Eren or Saoirse deals with me, I'll take on the entire regiment if I have to," she said bluntly. "I don't give a _damn_ about what they're trying through with us."

"Please! Don't risk your life in order to save us!" Saoirse pleaded.

"Please! This isn't the only way!" Armin joined in. "They're just scared, they don't understand what's happening! We need to calm down and just talk it out!"

Saoirse headed over to Eren and knelt beside him, clutching, believing there's no use on reprimanding her friend. "We'll protect you," Saoirse assured.

Eren looked at his used to be severed arm, and he looked at his body nervously. They were on the verge of being brutally executed, and he wondered if he could do what he couldn't remember again in order to save his friends, and Saoirse.

"One more time!" Kitz shrieked. " _Are you a human being or a titan?!"_

Mikasa, Armin and Saoirse all faced him for the answer. He had to answer correctly, because one wrong word or more, and they'll be blasted with their blood splattered all over.

Saoirse stared at him more intensely, because out of all of them, she loved Eren the most, and he was the one she truly believed in, and she didn't want to go through the trouble of losing Eren again after she just did.

" _I'm human!"_ Eren screeched.

Then it went blank. Everything was so silent for the moment, you could hear a pin drop. Saoirse blinked. _Eren...you...you..._

Eren stared at Kitz, hoping he would take the answer. The bearded captain closed his eyes for a moment to process whether to shoot him or not. "So you say...," he said calmly. " _I'm left with no choice._ "

Saoirse silently gasped and turned pale. He raised his arm slowly. _He's signaling the soldiers to shoot at them._ Armin and Mikasa had the same reaction as well.

" _Forgive me, push comes to shove, all of us are monsters."_ Kitz said hesitantly, his arm fully raised.

Before anything could happen, Mikasa turned to them abruptly. " _Armin! Saoirse! Head for the wall! I've got Eren!"_ Mikasa ordered, running as fast as she could.

The girl dropped her blades and ran over to her brother. " _Wait! No!"_ Eren pleaded, before he was thrown over her shoulder.

As he was, he saw something fall out of his neck, it was a _key._ He noticed that he was wearing it as a necklace. Then he remembered something, something he had forgotten a long time ago.

* * *

 _"Eren. Behave while I'm gone, and I'll let you in on what I've been doing in the cellar," Dr. Yeager instructed._

* * *

 _"Listen to me, it's vital that you keep this key on you at all times, whenever you look at it, let this thought flood over you," Dr. Yeager ordered. "I must return to that cellar."_

 _Suddenly, he pulled out a serum and faced Eren with tears spilling down. "I'm gonna give you a little something to forget what I mean," he said. "I'm sorry, I wish there was more time to explain all this. When the time comes though, know that you must reclaim Wall Maria and head for the cellar."_

 _He walked over to the boy, and he backed away nervously. "Be pleasant, but in my heart, I know what I'm doing is for the best," he said hesitantly. "When the ability confuses you let your memories act as your guide!"_

 _He raised the serum over his son._

* * *

Suddenly, Eren hit Mikasa in the back in order to let him go.

 _Eren! One day the truth will come out! I swear to you! The journey will be a painful one!_

Eren grabbed Saoirse and Mikasa's hands and ran over to the center with Armin, face to face with the Garrison Soldiers.

 _But it is yours to make!_

Kitz raised down his arm, and the soldiers shot the cannon, heading for the quartet.

 _Mikasa's life! Armin's life! And soon, her life! You'll meet her soon enough! Everyone's life! It is your being to control this!_

Saoirse, Armin and Mikasa gasped in fright as they realized the cannon was speeding towards them. He grabbed the three of them quickly. Eren raised his arm and bit into his thumb. Suddenly, a large thunder erupted from him, smoke everywhere. Large bones began to grow out of his body quickly. He raised his titan hand and the cannon ball hit it, saving them.

On top of the wall, Hannes and the others heard it and faced the sight below on what made that sound. All Garrison Soldiers stared at the smoke coming from it, including Jean and Janessa.

"Could it be...?" Janessa muttered.

Kitz covered himself from the smoke coming. Soon, it started to clear. "Did we do it?" Kitz asked.

Mikasa, Armin and Saoirse stared in horror at the sight before them that saved them from the cannon ball whilst holding onto the titan body. Rico gasped. Kitz couldn't breathe. "Dear god..." he mumbled.

The other soldiers stared in complete and utter horror. As the smoke cleared, an unfinished version of the Rogue Titan's face appeared. He didn't have his skin, all muscular tissue and his hair was missing and one eye was open. Also the rest of it's body was unfinished, with half of the torso replaced with skeletons. All Garrison Soldiers screamed.

* * *

 **Sorry it took so long to finish this chapter because of schedules...again. Anyways, I'm happy that I introduce my third main OC Rosemary! Yep, she likes...the most popular character of the series and he's short. And also, my birthday's coming up on Monday! Also, I wanna give a shoutout to GalaxyAnimeGirl123:**

 **You are very nice and friendly, and I hope that you'll enjoy the rest to come! Also, I hope there's one of my OCs you like.**

 **Only a few more episodes to go! Awinx out for now!**


	10. Answer

Chapter 10: Answer

 **Sorry if I haven't been updating lately guys. It's just that school begun and I have to focus on my studies and improve because my grades were low last year but I eventually passed from the final grading. But I'll try everything I could to complete this story.**

* * *

"One more time!" Kitz shouted to Eren as he and the Garrison Soldiers surrounded him and his friends. "Are you a human being or a titan?!"

Eren hesitated to answer. " _I'm human!"_ he answered.

Then it all went silent. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Kitz closed his eyes to process the information. He slowly raised his arm. _He's gonna signal the soldiers to fire._

"So you say... _I'm left with no choice."_ he said.

Saoirse gasped and turned pale, with Mikasa and Armin reacting the same way. Eren gasped in horror.

* * *

"Those things...they just..kept coming..." Daz stammered in fear. He raised his head up to Marco. "It's...a nightmare!"

"Take it easy," Marco assured.

Daz grasped on the boy's sleeve. "But those monsters ate my squad!" he panicked. "I saw my friends die and I don't want to be there to experience the whole thing!"

Even though he joined the Military, he was a huge coward. "Who'd you think was pity than me?!" he asked, kneeling. "And soon, I'll be up too. I'm gonna be finished... _those titans were meant to eat every last one of us!"_

He grabbed his blades from his gear. " _I don't want to be eaten!"_ he shouted.

Marco wrapped his arms around Daz to stop him from committing suicide. "Hey! Keep it together, okay?!" he tried to assure again. "You're not alone, you know. We're all fighting back our fear."

He faced Sasha and Keira who were sitting together.

"Look at Sasha and Keira! Even after what they've seen, they remain proper soldiers!" Marco said.

Suddenly, Sasha hunched over and clutched her stomach, yelling in pain. Keira turned her head to her friend and raised her arms.

"Sasha! What's wrong?" the girl asked, concerned.

"Ogh...my stomach aches please guard me along with the wounded..." she moaned in pain.

Marco and Daz looked at her.

"You need to go to an infirmary, and don't eat too much, okay?" Keira said.

"No...I think I'll be fine..." Sasha said in a tiny voice due to pain.

Daz tried to break free from Marco's grasp. " _Please let me die!"_ he yelled.

Marco had to tighten his grasp. "Hold on! _Stop it!"_ he shouted.

"Daz please! Listen to him!" Keira shrieked.

Jean was drinking from his water along with Janessa, Reiner, Bertolt and Annie. He wiped the water from his mouth while hearing what's happening with his friend and Daz.

"Well they ordered to keep our mouths shut makes perfect sense now," he said. "As if the situation isn't all the bad already."

"You think?" Janessa asked when he stood up, and she did too.

Jean placed his hands on a table. "If they knew about Eren..." he mumbled.

Janessa was about to pipe up when they heard a loud explosion coming from the center of the town, earning gasps and glances from people. Janessa and Jean both turned to the source of the sound.

"It sounded like cannon fire!" Janessa exclaimed.

Annie, Bertolt and Reiner joined them. "But why just one shot?" Jean asked.

"Look!" A Garrison Soldier called out. "Smoke! It's inside the wall!"

All the people gasped. "Was that Eren?" Janessa asked Reiner.

"We don't know yet," he replied.

"Did it bust down the water gate?!" a soldier asked nervously.

"Impossible! It's the dirtiest part of the whole wall!" another one replied.

"Maybe, but they shoved it by accident!" another soldier said.

"Then...why's there so much smoke?!" a soldier asked.

Reiner stared at the sight and cringed.

"Not now...is that titan steam...?" Jean asked.

"It looks like one," Janessa said.

Suddenly, Reiner reached into his hand grip and pulled the trigger, sending him up to the roof to check the sight.

"Hey!" Jean shouted.

"Reiner what the-" Janessa was cut off when she saw Annie and Bertolt join their friend. The redhead faced Jean.

"We've got to follow them!" she said, and headed towards them.

"I suppose so," he complained before gliding to the roof with the others.

* * *

Eren's titan form was able to stop the cannon, but the worst thing was that his titan form was incomplete. It was covered in muscular tissue and had only one eye, with half of his torso ripped open, showing his skeleton. Seeing the sight made the soldiers scream.

Janessa, Jean, Reiner, Bertolt and Annie made it in time to see the steam.

"What the hell is that?" Reiner asked.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Janessa said.

Armin looked up in fear and he saw that he was inside the skeleton torso. Mikasa and Saoirse looked around. The head was starting to move.

"It's alive!" a Garrison soldier called out.

As the steam cleared, the head of the Rogue Titan moved towards them, making Kitz jump in fear.

"Let's see what it does..." he said and turned to Rico. "Maintain your distance! Alert! It can strike at any time! Artillery Group! Back up the cannon!"

The pupil began to move. Inside the nape, Eren opened his eyes and saw that he was struck to the body. He struggled to release him self because it was sticky and he finally did, releasing smoke from the nape. He removed his left arm from the body.

"Eren! Is that you?!" Saoirse called out to him.

"Wh..what is this...I know they fired the cannon at us but..there was a tremendous crash in the heat...apparently...we're now in the body of a giant sk-" Armin stammered in fear.

"Eren did this for us Armin," Mikasa said. "It's all we need to understand for now."

"We still don't know what happened, but we can still trust him." Saoirse said firmly.

Armin gave a smile. Suddenly, two blue flowers caught his attention. He noticed they weren't there before.

"Armin! Saoirse! Mikasa!" Eren called out, running to them.

"Eren!" Saoirse exclaimed.

Eren stood in front of them. "Are you guys alright?!" he asked, making sure he didn't harm them.

They all stared at him with wide eyes. "Eren...how'd you-" Armin was cut off.

"I don't know! But look, it's already starting to vaporize just like a corpse of a titan," Eren said. "Let's get out of here!"

He walked to the front, where it was still covered in steam. "Hard to tell if they are watching and waiting, which is totally dazed," he said, and turned back to his friends. "I suppose it doesn't really matter that much either way, I'm sure once the smoke clears, they'll resume the attack."

Saoirse and Mikasa stood up. Armin too. The quartet stared at the titan head. "After seeing this, I think we've blown any hope in reasoning with him," Eren said.

He raised his key up, the one that his father used to have before he gave it to his son.

"Eren, what's that?" Saoirse asked.

"It's more than that Saoirse," Eren said. "But...the cellar...I'm starting to remember, this key..."

His friends stared at him. "Our house in Shinganshina, my father said that I have to go back there, everything hinted on it!" he recalled. "I think that's why he gave me the power to transform...if I can make it back to the cellar...I might learn the titans' secret!"

"Well then, that's our best bet!" Saoirse said.

Suddenly, Eren punched a skeleton in frustration. " _Why did he keep this stuff secret?!_ " he asked angrily. "How many thousands of Scouts have already died because my father didn't share this information?!"

All three stared at him again. "It could be the last chance humanity has!" he shouted. "And the answer's been hidden away in our house this entire time? And he's insane...damn him..."

All three stayed silent, watching the boy angrily processing the information.

"Where have you been these last five years dad...?" Eren mumbled.

"Eren."

Mikasa placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. The titan boy faced his sister. "We have other business to deal with."

"She's right; just worry about it later, because sooner or later the soldiers might strike again," Saoirse agreed, glancing at the soldiers through the smoke. ready to act any time.

"Right." Eren said.

The quartet moved towards the smoke, in which the soldiers couldn't seen if they were coming or not.

"Get ready, the smoke's clearing," a soldier instructed. "As soon as you see it, _blast it!"_

"Before it gets here!" another one replied.

"Hold your fire!" Kitz said.

Suddenly, a large crash filled the area. The titan's head cracked apart, and fell into the ground, with the impact causing more smoke to fill the surrounding.

Meanwhile, inside the smoke, the quartet sat down, coming up with plans to convince the soldiers that they're aren't dangerous, nor Eren.

"Listen, I'm getting out of here," Eren told them. His friends quietly gasped.

"What?" Saoirse asked.

"Where? And how?" Armin asked.

"Anywhere but here, then I head over the wall and straight to Shinganshina," he continued, looking at his fist. "But I'll have to become a titan again."

"You can transform at will?" Armin had to question.

"To be honest I don't know how I'm doing it Armin," Eren said. "I just know that I can. It's hard to put it in words but most likely reflexively. In that moment, my mind focused consciously on stopping the cannon ball. That's why it's decayed; it only had the endurance to meet that task."

He glanced at his fist. "Next time I'll be stronger...I'll be a fifteen high meter titan just like I was before!"

"Eren...your nose..." Saoirse interrupted.

"Y-Your nose is..." Mikasa said.

The boy noticed blood oozing from his nose, and wiped it off. He glanced at the blood from his finger.

Armin faced his buddy nervously. "Your breathing is erratic and you're pale.." he told him. "Something's wrong Eren...you're not well!"

"It had to do something with your strength from transforming, because you could have pushed yourself when you tried to protect us from the cannon," Saoirse said.

"Saoirse, I'm fine, my health is irrelevant...but I have two ideas," Eren said. "You three could make it out of here alive, if you stop trying to protect me. I've brought you nothing but trouble as it is, I'm doing this on my own at this point forward."

All three silently gasped.

"Eren...you can't..." Saoirse said. "We can't lose you again!"

"You're kidding..." Armin said breathlessly.

Eren knew this was a risky task, but he had to do it in order to save his friends' lives; including Saoirse's.

"Eren," Mikasa said. "I'm coming too."

Saoirse glanced back at Mikasa and then at Eren. "If that's the case..." she said. "Count me in too."

"No way," Eren said.

"I've planned to follow you wether you give me permission to or not, I swear; I'll never leave your side." Mikasa said firmly.

"I'm coming with you guys because I care about you; I'll never forgive myself if something bad happened to you," Saoirse said. "Wether or not you decided what to tell me, I'll never leave your side because I stay loyal to the ones I truly love most. I wasn't able to stay loyal before, and now I can't let it happened again."

Eren glared at them. "Mikasa stop it, I'm being serious!" he reprimanded, and faced Saoirse. "And Saoirse, I'm doing what's good for you because if you get hurt or seriously injured, I would never forgive myself!"

"Eren.." Saoirse muttered.

Eren faced Mikasa again. "I'm not your little brother and I'm not some snot knows toddler!"

Armin was afraid to look at his friends fight, because he was the only one that didn't involve stalking or coming.

* * *

The smoke kept coming and going, and the more it did, it made the soldiers even more vigilant around the area.

"Captain Woeman, the cannon is almost reloaded," Rico told him. "We're ready sir, what are your orders for the next attack?"

Kitz didn't answer, because he was too terrified to move, which makes no difference that he was the real coward here.

"All troops will await my signal!" Kitz instructed.

"Yes sir." Rico answered firmly.

* * *

Armin continued to watch his friends fight at a time like this.

He wasn't listening to any of his friends, because he was coming up with a solution fast. If the Garrison soldiers were to strike again, then he had to do something quick enough to let them listen and reconsider their decision of shooting. Then again, they won't take it very well. He was very smart, and knew what they're capable of, but this time, he had to face his fears and show his true self in form of a weakling. If he wanted Eren, Saoirse and Mikasa to be safe, then he had to do something involving himself, which was risky.

He glanced at the ground again. His friends were always the ones saving his butt, and he always wanted to repay their loyalty back, but his cowardliness pushed this goal from letting it all out. He closed his eyes, and reflected on his memories, but all he could get was that this would be the last time the four of them would be together.

"Listen, I want-" Mikasa said.

"We-" Saoirse was interrupted as well.

"Just wait a second, would'ya?" Eren said. "If you recall, I said I had two ideas. "

Eren faced Armin. "Armin, I trust you to to make the right decision.

Hearing it made the blonde boy snap out of his daze and face his friends.

"Now hear me out," Eren continued. "And yes, I'm aware of how realistic this plan is. The best case scenario I try to use my titan ability strategically, under military direction,. This might sound crazy..but if you think you can convince the Garrison Regiment right here and now, then I present no threat to them. I trust you, we'll go with that option. That's my second idea."

Saoirse nodded. "I agree with him, they're just following orders, so this is our best bet," she said.

"If you don't think you can get it done, then my last resort is the first idea," Eren told him. "You've got fifteen seconds to decide, think you can get it done?"

"Our lives are on the line, we trust you," Saoirse said.

"Listen, I'll respect your opinion either way." Eren finished.

"Saoirse..Eren..." Armin mumbled. "Why would you leave such a major decision up to me?"

"Because you keep a level head," Eren said. "You always choose well no matter how ugly things get. I figured that's what we're lying on."

"We have saved you many times before, and now this is the perfect opportunity to reciprocate our loyalty to you, we believe in you." Saoirse said.

Armin stared at them. "When have I done that?" he asked hesitantly.

"Come on, you do it all the time," Eren reminded him. "Take five years ago; if you haven't gotten to Mr. Hannes for help; Mikasa and I would have been eaten by the titans, including Saoirse and her remaining family. "

Suddenly, the spinal cord of the titan cracked apart, falling behind Armin. He was truly amazed on how his friends see him. He was always a weakling, but what is stronger than that is his trust and love for his friends.

"Armin, our time's up."

* * *

"Artillery crew has reloaded captain," Rico told him. "It's your call sir."

* * *

Armin was hesitant, because he knew if he said one wrong word to the regiment and result in his friends blasted, he would never forgive himself for that. It was high time he paid the debt that his friends did for so long.

Suddenly, Armin stood up, looking braver than ever.

"I _will_ persuade them, trust me," Armin said firmly. " You three just act as non aggressively as you possible can, agreed?"

Eren, Armin and Saoirse nodded without hesitation.

"That's the Armin we know," she said.

The boy turned around and started heading towards the smoke, whilst thinking about was he's gonna say without fear. He realized that he was fifteen that he had a greater chance of pulling this off and saving his friends. If he could muster up the courage to say something no soldier has ever said, it would have greater effect on him and his friends.

He had to choose his words wisely, he had to get straight to the point and straight to the punch; he knew the Garrison soldiers wouldn't be listening for very long before they blast him and his friends.

He knew this would work, because bravery granted people a higher advantage of living on.

He took his gear off, with the sound of clanging catching the soldiers' attention. Their eyes widened, it's coming. Armin covered his face with his arms as he broke through the smoke and realized that he was face to face with the soldiers.

" _Hold! Hold!_ " Kitz instructed in fright.

A soldier grabbed his cannon and aimed it at the boy. Armin skidded towards them and raised his arms up. This was it. It's now or never.

" _Is this supposed to be your true form, monster?!_ " Kitz shouted. " _I don't buy it! Don't try to trick us! I mean it!"_

"Eren is _not_ a foe of humanity! We're willing to cooperate with Military command and make sure to learn everything about his power!" Armin said, not taking his words back.

" _Oh please! He revealed his true form and because of that dread we cannot leave him alive!_ " Kitz yelled. "If you insist he's not an enemy of ours, then show me _proof!_ Otherwise we'll _blast_ him to whatever nightmare he has crawled out of!"

"You don't need any proof!" Armin yelled back.

"The fact of the matter that is, it doesn't matter what we perceive him to be!" he continued, hoping it would knock sense into them.

"W-What?!" Kitz asked.

"The reports say hundreds of soldiers saw him, and those who were there saw him fighting other titans!" Armin continued. "And that means they saw him get swarmed by the titans as well!"

The soldiers gasped. "Put it plainly, the titans saw him the same way each of their human being as their prey!" Armin shouted. " _And it doesn't matter how else you may look at it! That isn't a relatable fact!"_

A few soldiers lowered their blades, seeing through his words.

"The kid's got a point," one said.

Kitz looked around, realizing that his comrades are reconsidering. Not wanting to believe it, he raised his arm. " _Prepare to attack!"_ Kitz shouted again. "Don't be allowed to be deceived by his cowardliness!"

Armin gasped, with Eren, Saoirse and Mikasa having the same reaction as well.

"The titans behavior was always been a comprehension! _I wouldn't put it past him through his human form! He's speaking our language! H-He attempted to seize us! I refuse to let him continue his behavior and that's that!"_ Kitz shouted.

Armin stared in shock. His plan was beginning to fail, and he knew that one wrong move, and he'll be killed with his friends. He glanced back at his friends. Saoirse and Eren nodded, whilst Mikasa stared at him in belief. Even if he couldn't pull this off, they still believe in him.

Armin saluted. " _I am a soldier! And I have dedicated my heart to the rest of the mission of humanity, sir!"_ he yelled with dignity. " _Nothing could make me prouder! Or done for such a noble cause! If we were to use his titan ability and realize the man power we have left, I believe we can do it! We can retake the city! For humanity's glory!"_

All soldiers were on edge watching him, with Jean, Janessa, Annie, Reiner and Bertolt watching in amazement at their friend.

" _And what little time I have left to live!"_ Armin screamed. " _I WILL ADVOCATE AS TO CHANGING THE VALUE!"_

Kitz closed his eyes for a moment to process what he just said.

"Captain Woeman, his words are considering sir," Ian told him. "Maybe we should-"

" _QUIET!"_ Kitz screamed, too frightened to see through the words. He slowly raised his arm, signaling the soldiers to fire. Armin's eyes widened. He has failed. The plan failed. His words failed to let the captain see the point in them. He is finished. His friends are finished. It was happening so fast. Mikasa and Saoirse were about to pull out their blades, whilst Eren raised his fist to bite his finger again to change into a titan form.

Before Kitz could finish raising his arm, a hand grabbed him.

"That's enough," an old man's voice instructed firmly. "You should really do something about your nervous position, Captain Woeman."

As the old man's voice lowered the captain's arm, he walked towards Armin.

"C-Commander Pixis!" Kitz said.

They were relieved to be saved by the Commander. Pixis strolled to the boy and his friends.

"Can you _not_ see this soldier's heartfelt salute?" Pixis asked. "I've only just arrived, but I'm quite aware of the situation."

He faced the cowardly captain. "Gather our reinforcements, I think we could at least do the young soldier's favor of hearing them out."

Armin knelt to the ground and smiled whilst tears spilled out. He did it.

Saoirse smiled and embraced Eren, in reply he smiled and clutched on her arm, with Mikasa smirking.

* * *

He let the quartet on top of the inner wall of Trost, in which titans were raising their arms, determined to eat the people on top of it. Pixis took a swig from his bottle and glanced at the titans below.

"Nope, not any of you," Pixis said. "Eaten by a titan wouldn't be so bad; if it was a sexy lady one."

"That's that, so visiting the cellar would clear everything up?" Pixis asked.

"Yes sir, well at least I think so," Eren answered.

"We believe the cellar's the best chance we got for discovering who the titans really are," Saoirse said.

"For a moment there is now way to validate the claims you made, for now I'll just cuddle them all here," Pixis said, placing his finger on his temples.

"With that said, I can usually tell the difference between the anxious and the sincere, which is why I personally guarantee your safety."

The quartet stared at the ground.

"You're Cadet Armin Arlert, is that correct?" Pixis asked the blonde boy.

"Yes sir." he replied.

"You mentioned a plan to harness this so called titan ability, and then utilize your friend's power to retake the city?" the commander asked again. "Do you believe it can work? Or were you grasping it's straws to save your heights?"

"Well...both, commander," Armin answered.

Pixis took a moment to process this. "I was going to suggest that Eren, using his strength as a titan could lift that giant boulder. We could use it to block off the wrecked gate. That was the best idea I was able to come up with on the spot. I just wanted to make everyone see how Eren's ability might provide a solution to the problem we all face." Armin told him.

Pixis turned back.

"Granted, I was really desperate to survive." Armin finished.

"Desperate to survive, huh?" Pixis said. "That's just credible reason as it is, son."

He took a swig from his bottle again. He walked to the quartet slowly. He knelt down in front of Eren.

"What do you say, Cadet Yeager?" he asked.

"Say sir?" Eren asked.

"That hole, do you think you could plug it up, son?" Pixis questioned.

Eren stared at him. "Well I..." he trailed off, hesitant to answer. "I don't know, it's possible, but at the moment, I don't understand my power any more than you do. It's just...I sorta feel responsible for giving you danger. Cause I don't really know."

"Ah yes, of course my apologies," Pixis said. "I ask you the wrong question. _Are you willing to, Cadet Yeager? Or not?_ "

Eren stared at the commander's eyes, and he glanced back at Trost below. It was between yes or no, because he knew that he could cause trouble if he used powers he hasn't fully understand yet. But he knew that humanity and his friends are counting on him, with Saoirse trusting him the most.

Saoirse faced him and nodded. Eren turned back to the commander.

" _I'll do it._ "

"I'll do it; I don't know if I can seal that hole, but... _I'll do it!"_ Eren proclaimed.

Hearing his words made Saoirse blush a little and stroke her bangs. She smiled.

 _We believe in you Eren. We know, I know, that in our little hearts that you can do it, because I love you._

* * *

 **Sorry again for not updating :(. But I'm glad I finished another chapter. The progress might slow down because I'm not allowed to do computer Monday to Thursday, which means either Friday, Saturday or Sunday the story would update. I hate myself :(**

 **I also want to give a shout out to reviewer Kelidestroyer:**

 **You are amazing and nice! Hope you enjoy the rest of the story.**

 **Awinx out for now!**


	11. Idol

Chapter 11: Idol

 **Sup guys! Today began good because I was getting ready for school and riding the bus when school got suspended because of the weather here in the Philippines. Yep, July's the rainy season and the month where schools get suspended and we can all relax and enjoy fangirling. I decided to use today to continue the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'll do it! I don't know if I can, but...I will!" Eren said strongly to Dot Pixis, the commander after he was asked to seal the hole in Trost in his titan form. "I swear."

His friends watched him declare this. Dot remained his posture and nodded in agreement. He patted the boy's shoulders. "Excellently said, you have the heart of a lion," he said, standing up and walking over to the edge of the wall again.

"Stand officers, up! We have a plan to flesh out!" he shouted.

"W-Wait! We can't actually be moving forward though this is our last strategy, it's just something I tossed out there," Armin doubted himself.

Saoirse faced him. "Come on Armin, wether or not it's a meant-to-be strategy, we can still use it for victory," she reprimanded.

"I was thinking the same thing," Eren piped out to the three.

They faced him.

"Said, he seems like a guy who knows what he's doing," the boy continued. "Has it all under control, like we can't see the force from the trees but he's got a bird's eyes view."

Armin faced his buddy. "You think so?" he asked.

Saoirse crossed her arms. "It's risky, but are you up for it?" she asked.

"I do." Eren answered. "Either way we've got a whole other problem to address before we can get your plan off the ground. And my gut tells me that the commander's kingly aware of it."

"Which would be..." Armin trailed off.

"Titans...aren't our only foe." Eren told them.

Armin lightly gasped. He had always believed titans were the reason why humans couldn't go outside and resulting in near extinction, but suprisingly, there was something else that's stopping them from going outside the walls.

"Look sharp, soldiers," Pixis called out to them. The quartet looked at him and Eren stood up.

"The fate of mankind rests on your shoulders."

The quartet looked more determined than ever, desperate to save Trost and attain victory that they had failed to in the past.

* * *

The news of the plan had reached the soldiers retreating in the inner wall. Of course, their reaction wasn't good at all after what they've been through a few hours ago.

 _"Retake Trost? Are they kidding?"_

 _"Someone on top lost their marbles."_

 _"Lost cause, no doubt."_

 _"Defending Wall Rose is the only real option here."_

 _"Jackasses. Some pure craft pushing this through to make glory."_

Daz, looking pale than ever, he didn't look brave enough to do it.

"I can't….I can't go back…." he trailed off before putting his hands on his head. " _We'll die! We're all gonna die!_ "

Marco and Keira faced him, with a Garrison soldier turning his head towards the voice.

"Not so loud!" Keira whispered harshly.

"The hell Daz?! Calm down!" Marco reprimanded.

" _Stop shrieking like a civiling coward!_ " The leader barked, walking over to him.

"Are you trying to make an impression of your friability?!" he continued asking.

Das looked up. "Sir, please! _Look at us! All of us are gonna die and be buried in graves when we get slaughtered!_ "

The Garrison leader reached for his blades threateningly. "You too are good to sacrifice yourself for the good of humanity, soldier? Or would you prefer I cut you right now as an example to your comrades?"

Das gave him his blade, using this as an advantage. "Do what you gotta do. _I'll take it over beat than a titan can any day!_ "

Marco held him back to restrain him.

" _Get a hold of yourself!_ " he said.

" _Get yourself together!_ " Keira joined in restraining Daz.

" _Let me go! Let go!_ " Das shouted loud enough for the soldiers to hear. " _I'm not going back and I'll die there!_ "

Hearing his protests caused murmurs among them, wether they would go with the plan or just back out at the last minute.

"You hear that? No lie, he's got a point."

A girl faced the ground. "So, who do you think's gonna have a nervous breakdown next?" she asked her friend.

Her friend faced down in fear too. "I don't know, but Trost isn't where I wanna go…"

" _Come again?_ " a Garrison soldier asked harshly, hearing their conversation.

The girl jumped in fright and tried to mask her fear. " _I-I was only kidding around sir!_ " she lied.

He didn't take it. " _Speak up_ ," he said in a threateningly manner.

"Huh?"

He leaned closer to her ear. "A _t the top of your lungs, make as much noise as you can, cadet_."

She knew what he meant because she knew that they didn't tolerate cowardliness. Jean and Janessa continued watching the cadets having a breakdown and they didn't look amused.

" _Do you think everyone else doesn't feel the same way about this stupid idea as you do? Then start a damn distraction so I can get out of here!_ " he shouted at her.

"Seriously, what is wrong with these people?" Janessa murmured, placing her hands on her hips. "They call themselves soldiers yet they are cowards. I wouldn't call myself one if I had a gut of fear."

"Where exactly do you think 'out of here' is?" Jean suddenly asked, having enough of the situation.

The leader stopped reprimanding her and face him. "Look man, I just want to see my daughter," he told him.

"Yeesh," Janessa mumbled.

"We're all dead anyway, right?" the leader asked.

* * *

Meanwhile on top of the wall, Pixis was busy walking with Eren and Saoirse talking about the plan.

"It's thought by many that before the titans held sway, mankind can assist different scores for raises, different creeds all scratching and biting each other for blood," Pixis told them. "It's not difficult to believe that second part."

"So brutal," Saoirse said.

"You can say that again, young lady," Pixis said. "Some wise men are rather repeated to have said they'll understand I'm paraphrasing here, that humanity required an enemy greater than itself just to survive."

Eren and Saoirse exchanged looks. "What do you two suppose it could have meant?"

"This is the first time we've heard of it sir," Eren told him. "I guess…that we all join forces? Some wise men.."

"I should probably look for a book about that when this is all over…" Saoirse said.

Pixis laughed and turned to face the two brunettes.

"I like the way both of your minds work, you two are almost as twisted and syndical as me," Pixis said, facing his head back forward.

"Maybe sir," Saoirse said.

"Well it's obvious to us the guy didn't have a clue on what he's talking about, come on, here we are, an enemy greater than itself buried down, and look at us."

"I guess you're saying all unlikely people should work together, if I put it that way," Saoirse said logically.

"Exactly, if our species doesn't pull it together soon, titans will nearly be the instruments of our demise, not the cause," Pixis said.

"So, young lady, you must be the daughter of Ben Hillman, am I right?" Pixies asked.

"Y-Yes, sir, he's a very good soldier, also a squad leader," Saoirse said.

Eren leaned closer to her. "Isn't there anyone who isn't friends with your father?"

"Military Police, he hates them, but he shows respect for Nile Dok," she told him.

Pixis laughed. "Your father visits here often, he's such a great man, courageous and loyal, never backing out in such things. He's not really famous, but he's a willed fighter. You're exactly like him, seeing you now reminds me of seeing him again after he's gone," he said.

Hearing 'he's gone' reminded Saoirse of her father's death again, but Eren placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"How close are you two?" Pixis asked.

Eren and Saoirse exchanged looks. "Very close…to be exact…" Eren said. "Where are you going on with this question?"

"Haha, that's because you two were mistaken for _love_ ," Pixis teased.

Both of them turned red and looked away.

" _L-Love?_ What are you talking about sir?" Eren stammered.

"Ah-It's not what it…looks like…er…" Saoirse grew embarrassed.

Pixis faced them with a smirk. "You see you two, these days, love is hard to obtain because of God what knows outside these very stone walls, but when you experience it for yourself, love is what makes you happy. It's the ultimate happiness, even more than exploring these walls, even than attaining victory from those flesh eating monsters. Fellow men say there's not time for love right now, but we can all prove it wrong because nothing is stronger than love, not even titans."

"Wh-Why are you telling all of these sir?" Saoirse asked.

"I'm not saying it with cause, just a little piece of advice, I don't actually know if you two like each other." he said.

" _Since when did the commander became….un-commandy?_ " Eren whispered.

"Probably a bottle of booze love," Saoirse teased.

The three continued strolling down the walls until they passed by a man and another one, Hannes. He gasped upon seeing Eren and Saoirse walking with the commander. He knows this was his time to talk to them again.

" _Eren? Saoirse?_ " Hannes asked.

The two turned to him.

"Well I'll be damned," Hannes said.

Suddenly, Eren gestured Hannes to drop something when he moved his finger downwards with a smug look on his face, earning a confused look from Saoirse. Hannes realised that he was telling him to get back to work, much to his humour. Seeing this made her giggle.

As they continued walking, Pixis pulled his bottle out of his jacket and uncorked it, and took a swig. He sighed freshly.

He handed the bottle to Eren. "Care for a swig?" he asked.

"Uh..yes sir!" Eren answered, taking it from him.

"Aren't you too young to drink that?" Saoirse asked.

"We've been drinking water and lame drinks for too long, let's try something else," Eren said, smirking.

"Suit yourself," Saoirse smirked.

Eren took a swig. As soon as he did, he gagged and spit out the liquid, disgusted by the taste. Saoirse winced at this, knowing how it tastes would be ugly compared to adults who could stand it.

"You like it?" Pixis asked.

"Not sure how to answer that though…" Eren said, still disgusted. He handed the bottle to Pixis, in which the commander handed to Saoirse next.

"Care for some too, young lady?" Pixis asked.

Saoirse took one look at it and grinned stupidly whilst shaking her hands, trying to mask her disgust. "N-No thank you sir, but thanks for the offer," she said.

Pixis turned back and smirked.

* * *

" _We're getting killed! Just get it done and over with!_ " Daz pleaded for the Garrison leader to slice him, with Marco and Keira trying to restrain him.

" _Shut up!_ " the leader shrieked.

Pixis, Saoirse and Eren stood at the edge of the wall, in front of the crowd. The commander cleared his throat.

" _ATTEN-TION!_ " Pixis screamed at the top of his lungs for the soldiers to hear.

They all faced him.

As soon it was silent, he began. "Take note: The blueprint of the Trost recovery operation is this…" he announced. "Our primary objective is to reseal the hole! Yes, you heard right, once more, it would be done manually!"

All soldiers stared in shock after hearing the plan.

" _What? That's impossible!_ " Marco said. "We just don't have the tick!"

"No human could lift that boulder!" Keira said.

"As for how the task would be done, that's where this fellow comes in," Pixis continued, placing his hand on Eren's back. He stepped forward.

"Allow me to introduce Cadet Eren Yeager!"

Eren saluted determinedly. Saoirse smiled.

All cadets gasped. The ones who didn't see Eren alive were as surprised as them.

" _Wh-What the hell?!_ " Connie exclaimed.

"Don't let appearances deceive you! This young man is in fact a successful product of cutting edge on science!" Pixis said. "Fantastic as this may sound, Cadet Yeager possesses the ability to fabricate and control a titan body, at _will!_ "

Connie gulped and faced Ymir and Krista. "Somebody tell me the commander's off his rocker, cause otherwise I'm just too thick to get what he means,"

" _Will you shut up and pay attention idiot?_ " Ymir said harshly.

"Recall the massive boulder roughly elite from the gate," Pixis said. "Having assumed titan form, Cadet Yeager will hold said boulder on his back, shove it through the hole and _voila!_ "

"And this is where you all come in; your job will be to defend him! Yes! Defend the titan against his own kind!" he declared.

Meanwhile, at the back, Mikasa, Armin, Anka and Gustav reviewed the blue print for the plan.

"What do you mean we don't actually need to fight them?" Gustav asked.

"There's an easier way, sorry I know it's not my place in a rough time, I mean no disrespect," Armin answered.

"That's alright, just go on with what you were saying," Gustav said.

"Right…thank you sir," Armin said and looked at the blueprint again. "See where every else is going around the titans are generally drawn to large groups of people. If enough of us are connected in a corner from the breach, we could lure the titans out of Eren's path. He could be discreet about moving the boulder. He also won't have to slow his pace while we fight the others off him. And since the titans will all be in one area, we can pick them off by a cannon fire without incurring casualties of our own. Now I'm not suggesting Eren would be defenceless, that'd be too risky. We'll need a modest band of elites to act as his bodyguards. There's no way of knowing how many titans might come through the hole when he's trying to patch it up, his security detail we need to be able to handle them."

They took a moment to process this. "Easy enough I think, we can retool the plan right now." Gustav said.

"Yes, we're making a huge assumption here namely that Eren even in full titan form is strong enough to move the rock." Armin said.

"I mean…to be perfectly honest there's very little reason for us to suppose he can, I have my doubts," Armin said. "Serious ones."

"As do I, sending people to their doom on a whim, isn't an attack to confirm of, I'm certain he's killed too many already," Gustav mumbled before facing him. "But the commander is right, we must do this."

"Agreed, we're working against the clock here," Anka said.

They were right. They had to do it now because this was the moment they could possibly reach victory for the first time in forever.

"Titans are still lumbering into Trost as we speak, there are already maybe more than we can handle for frankly. The longer we wait, the worse our chances of success become." Anka told them.

"Then it goes without saying, better our chances to bust through Wall Rose and wreak," Gustav said.

"There's something else too," Anka said. Armin and Gustav faced her.

"Even the bravest of us cannot definitely bundle our fear, not before something goes." Aka finished firmly.

~u~

After hearing the news, it raised murmurs among the cadets tied with doubts.

"The kid can lift a rock that big? Is this real? Is he saying we finally have an advantage?" the Garrison Squad Leader who tormented Daz asked.

Speaking of Daz, he reached out to the Commander. " _You're lying! I'm not gonna be in Trost sacrificing myself in this crap!_ " he shrieked. " _How is this possible to lift a big ball?! Do you expect us to live and die in whatever hell comes out of your mouth?!"_

"You mean he's a human weapon?"

Sasha shivered, hesitant to sacrifice herself to help Eren get to the hole and seal it with the boulder.

"This is _not_ how I'm going out," a Garrison soldier said. " _Good luck to the rest of you._ "

He walked away, not wanting anymore danger than there already is. The two girls nodded and joined him. Pretty soon, many cadets walked away out of fear, and not ready to die yet.

"Oh come on," Janessa murmured.

"So God help my I'll put you on the spot-" the Squad Leader reached for Daz but he pushed his hand away.

" _To hell with you! My family is the time I have left!_ " Daz barked.

Kitz, Rico and Ian watched the cadets walk away shamefully.

"This is getting out of hand," Ian told Rico.

"I know, if we don't act now the whole thing will break down," Rico replied.

Kitz, not wanting enough of this, he yelled out, " _Retreaters! I'll kill you where you stand!_ "

He raised his blade, causing a few cadets to stop walking and face him.

"Decision is answer by death!" he yelled.

"Well thank that person," Janessa said, with Jean nodding in agreement.

"Anyone wishing to leave, all be my personal order not to be charged with treason!" Pixis yelled out.

"Those who have seen a titan first hand will not be a suspect of revisiting horror again!" Pixis said. "Whomever you hand the supplies to, you may leave with my blessing! Additionally with any family and loved ones they would spare from the same trauma may also leave!"

"The crowd will continue to recognise your service," Pixis said. "Thank you and good luck!"

Hearing this made the soldiers rethink their loved ones' death. Not wanting their death in vain, they turned back to the crowd and continued listening to the commander.

"Now, think back four years ago," Pixis recalled. "Namely the operation to retake Wall Maria, I'd bring it up because you all deserve to have your suspicions confirmed! Officially we labeled it cognisance! But in fact, as most of you probably know, it was little more than a purge. A thinly disguised exercise on population control. We knew this in our hearts, of course we did, if we turn a blind eye, we supported the states sponsored because of the death of our fellow human beings allowed us to survive!"

Saoirse closed her eyes and remembered her father risking his life to save her, her cousin and mother. She knew that her father didn't die in vain, and he was the reason where she is now. She got determined to live her father's legacy.

"Pure and simple, the guilt is ours, we share the blame, all of us," Pixis continued. "The citizens of Wall Maria sustained themselves in the whole sales slaughter of the refugees who'd flown to us for help. But is that fair play or not? If Wall Maria comes the population will fall by a whole other multitude! The lands comprising Wall Sina wouldn't support half of the people now living! If we wipe off the face of the earth, the culprits would not have been the titans let me assure you. No no, we have done it to ourselves. If the line isn't drawn now, it won't be drawn at all. If we must die, _let us die here!_ "

The crowd was surprised of Pixis' speech. Perhaps he was telling the truth, maybe this was the moment they would get victory after 200 years of titan apocalypse.

* * *

After the speech, several soldiers made their way on top to meet their squads and discuss the plan, including Squad Leaders Rico, Ian and Mitabi.

"Good, you're all here," Pixis said to all of them. "You have _one_ mission and _one mission_ only: Protect Eren Yeager."

"Any risks associated with this operation are yours to eliminate," Pixis said. "Which I'm sure you'll surmise meaning out of everyone, your jobs are the worst."

"Our success of failure will depend on you. In fact it's safe to say the fate of mankind will reflect your own." Pixis finished.

"Sir, may I ask something?" Rico asked.

"Of course." Pixis replied.

"Are you certain about this? Depending on our hopes of Yeager, I mean," she said, hesitant.

Ian faced her. "Rico, don't."

"I'm sorry, I assume we all have our doubts," Rico said.

"Sir please, with all due respect the kids' abilities are an unknown quality, we don't have the first idea of what or will won't do," Mitabi said.

"If he can't lift the rock or worse he goes Rogue, a lot of lives would have been lost for nothing." he finished asking.

Pixis stroked his moustache. "Hmmm…you make a good point, perhaps we have to give ourselves up to the titans willingly," he said.

All squad leader gasped lightly.

"Personally this idea makes me sick, I'm a sore loser, Pixis said and turned around. "You'd think I'd be used to it, I've been stuck on the losing side since day one."

Rico exchanged glances with Ian. "'I'm a stubborn old fool though, just once I like to know what victory feels like, even after I extort to extreme measure."

"Naturally sir, I'm sure we all feel the same way," Rico said.

Pixis turned back to them. "Then I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, the boy's abilities may be an unknown quantity to do that," he said. "But I'll take it under the known quantity options."

"Sir, it's time to get the decoy operation at it's feet," Gustav called out.

Pixis faced them again. "Ian Dietrich, Rico Brzenska and Mitabi Juianach, you are the Garrison's best and rightest, _win this one for humanity._ "

All three saluted at the same time. " _Sir!_ "

"Excellent, Ian I'm assigning you Squad Leader," Pixis said. "On side continuities will be yours to deal with."

"Uh…but sir…that is…" Ian stammered.

"I have no objections," Rico said, earning a look from Ian.

"Neither do I, sir." Mitabi said.

"Please sir, I'm not competent enough," Ian said.

"Now now," Pixis said. "You'll appreciate alcohol, do you not?"

"Sir?"

"You know a good vintage, you know a snotty one as well," he said. "So there it is."

"…Sir!"

Eren watched as Pixis instructed the Squad Leaders, feeling hesitant and brave at the same time. He knew this was a risky task, but he knew this was for the good of humanity.

"I'm so sorry Eren," Armin apologised as he and Mikasa approached him and Saoirse.

"I was just talking out of my head, it wasn't my intention for you to be pulled into all this," Armin said.

"It's not your fault," Saoirse assured.

"Stop apologizing, the fact is that you have a gift for strategy and you know it," Eren told him. "I believe in you Armin."

"Eren, I really think I should-" Mikasa was interrupted.

" _You're not coming with me_ ," Eren instructed harshly.

Hearing this made her cringe. "You're on the decoy squad, period."

Saoirse shrugged. "I don't have to say this..but Eren has a point. You should commit to your duty instead of following him wherever he goes. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Mikasa assured before facing him. "I'm _not_ leaving you alone. _I won't take another chance_ -"

" _Knock it the hell off!_ " Eren shrieked at his sister. Saoirse raised her hand to stop them but Armin held it, figuring out that they didn't need to be interrupted.

"Get it through your head that I'm not your responsibility, you're not my mother!" Eren reprimanded.

"Eren-" Saoirse tried to call out.

"Not now Saoirse." Eren answered, trying not to hurt her.

She looked down and Armin placed his hand on her shoulder. She didn't like her friend and crush fighting. But she knew if she interrupted, she would be scolded for it.

"Ackerman, Hillman, I want you two to be on the squad that will be providing Yeager with backup," Ian said.

Hearing this made Mikasa sigh in relief. She'll be able to protect her brother, including Saoirse.

"We'll need both of your skills," Ian said. "Hop Two. Let's get this started."

Armin ran to the other squad whilst Eren, Mikasa and Saoirse ran to get started on their plan. The Squad headed towards the wall that leads trough Trost.

"Let's get this straight right now; whatever you are, all I care about is you getting that rock in place," Ian instructed. "Can we count on you?"

"Yes sir! I won't let you down!" Eren replied.

"You're absolutely sure you're gonna be alright to do this?" Mikasa asked her brother.

"I got it!" Eren said.

"We believe in you," Saoirse said.

Rico watched them.

"Seriously-"

"How many times do you want me to say it? You two just do your job while I do mine!" Eren said.

Rico caught up with them. "Look, now's not the time to be playing house," she instructed.

"Come on, it isn't like that!" Eren said.

"I'm gonna say what we're all thinking here, the fact that the fate of mankind depends on a little brat like you doesn't make me hopeful," Mitabi said.

"It is gonna work, this is a foolproof plan, we just have to stick to it carefully," Saoirse said.

"All of you, stop it right now," Ian said. "We're about to be in range of the giant boulder, I'm not seeing any titans nearby. The decoy strategy must be doing the trick."

"Something I want you to be aware of Yeager," Rico called out to him. "Make no mistake. More than a few of our comrades are going to die today pulling this off, there blood's on your hands. I'm talking friends, captains, lieutenants, pions, yes they are soldiers, they are prepared to die, but remember; everyone of them is a flesh and blood person. Every one of them has dreams, hopes, fears, every one of them has a name. They're not puns, they're people. Some of them have been living together like family since cadet years. This may be the end of them. Whole family, snuffed out in a moment, whatever mission you think it is Yeager, your first and foremost concern today is making their deaths mean something. Whatever happens, you keep that lodged in your mind. Take everything that comes from deadly seriousness."

"Right!" Eren said.

"Pretty good advice there Squad Leader Rico!" Saoirse complimented.

Suddenly, she stopped and winced in pain, clutching her leg. She forgot that she sprained it a while ago. Eren stopped as well and turned back to her.

"Yeager! We have to keep moving!" Rico instructed.

"I'll be there!" Eren said, running over to her. "You okay?"

"Sorry Eren…I just…I sprained my leg a few hours ago when we were in Trost," Saoirse explained. "I think we need to get it treated first-"

"There's no time for that, we have to move," Eren said and began catching up to the group when he noticed she didn't follow him.

He turned back and Saoirse was rubbing her arms.

"You're…you're really going to do this?" Saoirse asked.

"Yeah," Eren asked, moving towards her.

"You do realise this is a risky situation, right?" the girl asked.

"I know but this is for the good of humanity," Eren said.

"What if..what if I never see you again? What if you get out of control? What if you die? What if the _plan fails? All of us are going to die and I…I…"_

Eren clasped his hands on her hands. " _Saoirse! Snap out of it and pull yourself together! We're capable of pulling this off!_ " he assured.

Saoirse stared at him and looked down. "Ah…Eren….I'm sorry….I didn't mean to worry….it's just that…" she trailed off.

"What?"

"I just…don't want to lose you again…"

Eren bit his lip. She had a point. He placed both of his hands on her shoulders and squeezed it. Saoirse looked at him.

"Don't worry Saoirse….I'll be fine, _I promise_." Eren assured.

Saoirse smiled. Suddenly, Eren pulled her into a hug, perhaps this could be their last hug before they could possibly die during the operation. Rico ran to them.

"Hey! There's no time for moments like this, we've got to go," she said.

Eren nodded. "Yes ma'm." he answered and ran towards the group.

Rico faced Saoirse. "And you, stop worrying about your boyfriend too much, for now just try to focus." she instructed and ran after him.

Saoirse blushed upon hearing Rico mistook her crush as her boyfriend. She loves him of course, but they weren't even boyfriend and girlfriend yet. She ran after them.

~u~

"This is the place! Let's do it!" Ian said, he and his comrades reaching the edge. All of them jumped and activated the gear, except for Rico, in which she stayed on top of the wall and fired the flare gun, signalling the mission to begin.

 _Here we go_ , Saoirse leaped forward and continued flying throughout the city, following her friends.

They continued to glide towards the city, looking and moving more determinedly than ever. After what seemed like thirty minutes, Eren leaped in the air and bit his thumb, causing thunder to strike him and became a titan. As soon as they saw Eren's titan form, everyone gasped.

"He did it," Saoirse said.

He roared, confirming his success of turning into a titan. Mikasa and Saoirse watched as Eren approached the boulder.

 _He's got this..he's gonna do it, I know he can._

Suddenly, Eren approached the two of them instead of lifting the boulder.

"Huh?" Saoirse asked.

It was only a moment before Eren raised his arm and _punched_ the roof they were on, meaning he was attempting to attack them.

* * *

 **Yay! I can't believe how far this fanfic's going.**

 **I even imagined Saoirse's lines, I picked Cherami Leigh to be her English dub voice. Did you know that Eren's English Dub actor and Cherami Leigh voiced two characters which were lovers in an anime? Watching those lovers in english dub feels like I'm watching Saoirse and Eren together.**

 **I'll post more next time! Awinx out for now!**


	12. Wound

Chapter 12: Wound

 **Hi! Sorry if I haven't been updating (again) I hope you guys understand that I need to study for school and get better with my grades because I want to accomplish my goal of getting high grades and have good work when I'm an adult. I'll try to update when I can. Enjoy!**

* * *

The plan for retaking Trost has begun. Soldiers from the otherside of the wall take the role as distraction to keep the titans away when Eren's going to lift the boulder and seal the hole in his titan form. The plan started to go well, with Eren transforming into a titan already, about to carry the boulder.

Saoirse and Mikasa watched as Eren's titan form walked over the boulder, but instead, he approached them, leaving them confused. Without being aware of it, he _punched_ the roof on where they were, causing them to barely dodge in time. Mikasa had her cheek cut, and hitting her head into a wall. Saoirse skidded across the roof and rolled back and forth until her momentum came to a halt.

The girl groaned and she slowly raised up her head.

 _What? Did he just punch us?_

" _What?!_ " Saoirse exclaimed.

Squad Leader Ian, Rico and Mitabi watched in disbelief as his titan form unknowingly nearly killed the girls. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Ian ran to them.

" _Ackerman! Hillman! Look out!_ " he yelled.

Eren's titan form was about to punch them again but they jumped out of the way, confused at the same time.

" _Why the hell is he punching us?! That's not how the plan's supposed to go!_ " Saoirse barked, latching her hook onto Eren.

"I don't know!" Mikasa answered, latching her hook onto Eren as well.

The two girls landed on the tip of the titan nose, trying to snap him out of it.

" _Hey! Ackerman, Hillman, get down now!_ " Ian ordered. "Get away from him, that's an order!"

They ignored it.

"Eren! I know you're in there somewhere, I know you recognize us, that's right!" Mikasa said. " _Come on! Snap the hell out of it! We've got a breach to seal up!_ "

" _Eren please listen to us! We need you right here and now!_ " Saoirse exclaimed.

Rico took the bullet that had a red outline and shot it in the air, sending a red flare, meaning it had failed. Eren's titan form didn't pick up the boulder as expected.

" _Eren! Listen to us!_ " Mikasa ordered. "You're human!"

Eren's fist begun to shook, and Ian knew what was gonna happen. " _Get out of there!_ " Ian demanded.

The girls jumped off the nose in time just to see Eren punch himself of what was meant for the girls. The impact had caused him to fall backwards and land oon the ground, smoke coming out everywhere.

"What the hell?" Mitabi said. "He told me the kid's a regular titan all along?"

" _Eren!_ " Both girls called out to him.

"Captain!" a voice called out.

The five soldiers turned to it. "We've got _two titans_ going down to us from the front! One ten meter and a six meter!"

Ian slightly gasped. "Heads up!" another voice called out. "There's a twelve meter closing in on us from the rear!"

Mitabi turned to him. "Ian, that's it please, just look at it," he turned to Eren's titan form again. "We need to get out of here; the plan's a bust."

Rico nodded. "Agreed. Full withdraw, we have to leave him as he is."

This only made Saoirse angrier. She turned her head sharply towards the squad leaders as if they offended her family. Her loyalty is so strong, she wouldn't never have the gut to abandon someone she truly loves.

" _No! We're not leaving him!_ " Saoirse demanded.

"Hillman! Just look at him!" Mitabi answered back. "You do realize he intentionally tried to _kill_ you girls? No excuse there."

"But surely there must be a reason! All of us know this is his first time, so we shouldn't jump to conclusions!" Saoirse continued to get them to go back to the plan.

"Don't use your logic on us Hillman," Rico strictly said. "All he's done so far is try to get you killed and now he's lying on the ground helplessly. There's no guarantee that Eren has control of his ability. _Discussion closed._ "

Saoirse growled, she angrier than ever. Mikasa turned her head sharply as well and looked really angry as twice as her friend. Ian glanced at their looks and looked down. They were right after all.

* * *

The Garrison watched as they saw a red flare, saying their plan has failed. Their one and only plan to win victory against titans. Armin, Marco, Keira and the others looked at the flare in complete disappointment.

"It's over..." Marco said. " _They failed._ ""

Keira pulled the sides of her head. "What do we do now?"

"What the hell..." Armin mumbled. He turned around sharply and began running away from the crowd.

" _Armin! Wait!"_ Keira called out, running after him.

" _Woah! Armin Where're you going?!_ " Marco called out.

Keira tried to catch up to stop her friend, but she eventually just tired herself out. Marco walked over and watched as their friend continued to run to the distance until he wasn't seen anymore.

"So...I guess this is pretty much it, huh Marco?" Keira asked.

The freckled boy looked down.

" _I don't know Keira._ " he said.

He was right. It is the end of the line for all who tried to proceed with the plan down there to the abandoned town.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mikasa and Saoirse continued to argue with the Squad Leaders wether or not they'll leave Eren.

"Ian! Snap out of it, what are you waiting for?!" Mitabi tried to get his friend into his senses. " _Give the order! Hey, it's not like this is your fault, come on, look!_ This plan was doomed from the start!"

Ian continued to ponder while Mikasa and Saoirse continued to stare at the Squad Leaders with such deadly looks.

" _We all get that! Wasn't it worth a shot, sure! Whatever! We did the best of what we had!_ " Mitabi continued ranting. "But all we've got left now is going back over the wall!"

Knowing this wouldn't work, Mitabi walked away in disbelief. Mikasa and Saoirse raised their blades threateningly. They began to run towards Mitabi when Ian blocked them with his arm.

" _Stop!_ " Ian ordered. He looked at them. "Easy. Now's not the time. Team Rico, take out the twelve meter approaching from behind."

Rico and Mitabi faced him as if he said titans aren't bad after all.

"Team Mitabi and I will handle the front runners." he finished.

Rico stared in total disbelief.

" _Are you nuts?!_ " she exclaimed.

"In case you've forgotten, _I'm in charge!_ " Ian demanded. "Do as you're ordered for, soldier!"

He faced them. "We are _not_ leaving Yeager defenseless, _period._ " he said strictly.

The short squad leader gasped. He was right after all.

"Change of plans," Ian instructed. "Our job now is to keep the other titans off him until he can recover, wether we like it or not."

He turned to Eren. "He's still our last best chance," Ian said. "We're not about to abandon him. We're expendable; he isn't. He just can't be replaced."

Rico still didn't process on what he just said. "Please, don't talk to me about our last best chance," she argued. "He's a failure countless soldiers have died because of."

She raised her arm towards him. "Just look at him Ian are you saying you want more of us to die saving _that?!_ " she tried to get into his senses.

Saoirse glared at her. "Did you hear what the Squad Leader has instructed?" she said in a tone of threat.

"Don't jump into this argument Hillman, this is a matter of life and death," Rico said.

"Don't talk to her like that," Ian coldly said. "And that's right: Down to the last man! If that what it takes, _so be it!_ "

The squad leaders looked in disbelief, wether or not they should follow his instructions or not. After all, this mission is a death wish, which meant countless of soldiers will fall to the titans or die trying to save the district.

* * *

Jean and Janessa made their way onto the top of the wall to see the commotion and the red smoke filling the air. They both ran to Marco, Keira and Connie.

"Jean and I came here as fast as we can; what's the catch?" Janessa asked.

"What the hell's up with the red smoke? What happened to him?" Jean asked.

Marco looked around nervously. "I don't know, but Armin's gone to see it," he told them.

"All we know is that the plan may have failed, much to our fear," Keira said.

Janessa's eyes widened. "What? _The plan failed?_ " she asked in disbelief.

She nodded. " _I'm afraid so,_ " she said with fear in her voice.

Marco turned to the girl. "Don't say that, I-I'll think he'll be alright," he assured.

"Yeah?" Both of them asked.

"Of course," Marco said. "I-I mean, this is Eren we're talking about."

"Alright," Jean and Janessa said in unison.

Keira nodded while Connie agreed as well. "I don't wann be that guy but this whole thing...feels kind of pointless," he said.

"Hell was the last time fighting against the titans didn't feel like that, huh?" Jean said. "The best thing now: Do what we can of losing any more."

Connie ran to the west side and looked at the soldiers below. "I don't like the idea of so many of us being dead for nothing," he said.

Janessa nodded. "Connie's right: Any soldier's death saving someone could mean something, I mean, we weren't born for nothing, right?" she said.

"We have to _pick_ our battles," Jean said. "If we want to wage all out wars someday, we have to conserve all the man power we can. This was the right call."

"Agreed." Keira said.

They looked at Connie again.

"Just be patient." Jean said.

"Was it the right call, though?" the buzz cut boy asked reluctantly.

"Of course it was!" Jean answered willingly.

Silence for a moment. "Live to fight another day, is that it?" Connie asked. He then turned to his friends and smirked with determination. "Right. I'm in."

"So am I." Keira said willingly.

Janessa smirked. "We're all even."

* * *

Rico continued to argue with Squad Leader Ian about the new plan with Saoirse and Mikasa watching.

" _Ian!_ You can't be serious!" she pleaded.

"What other hope against the titans do we have?!" Mitabi joined in as well.

"You know something I don't?!" Ian argued. " _This is it! This is all we've got and you damn well know it! I am making a judgement call here! If you have a better plan, speak up! How else are we gonna get up from under their feet?! I'm all ears here!"_

Rico's shoulders slumped. "If you're asking me how else we'll defeat the titans, obviously I have no idea," she replied.

"See? That's why we can't afford to be to retreat," Ian told them. "Not just yet. We may not know what else is in there. But there's _hope._ And as long if that's the case, we're gonna _fight_ to the bitter end."

Rico and Mitabi began to see the point.

" _Look at us._ Always scraping by. Always on the run. Don't you...don't you want it to be over?" Ian continued to explain. " _Don't you wanna make a stand?_ Well this is how it's done."

Mikasa and Saoirse looked at their squad leader determinedly. He was right. After all, their deaths would be meaningless had they didn't fight.

Of course, Rico's stubbornness kept her from seeing the point. "This is just...this is _madness._ " she said, walking away and frustrated.

Ian growled. " _Hey!_ " he called out.

"I think you're right," Rico finally admitted. "If were to stand, this is the only way. Just this once: Let's fight a fight that's _not_ just about love and triton. Let the bastards taste humanity's wrath."

"Right, my team will adjust the twelve meter titan coming from the rear." she said, walking away and going to her squad.

Mitabi walked away as well to go to his squad. "Well...we've got the two frontrunners." he said.

"Right." Ian said. He watched his friend switch to gear.

"Those were bold and brave words Squad Leader Ian," Saoirse complimented. "You knew the whole point of this mission all along. Thank you."

Ian smirked. "I couldn't abandon the plan and let titans win. We were meant to have our freedom." he said.

"Thank you Captain." Mikasa said. "That was brave."

"No it wasnt," Ian replied. "There's no thanks needed."

He turned to the girls. "The fact of the matter is I was petrifying of mess you two were about to get into."

He raised his steel swords up. "Both of you are free now, so do your thing: make good use of that born skill," he instructed.

"Sir." Mikasa and Saoirse answered willingly.

"Go save the man you two _love._ " Ian said.

Mikasa and Saoirse blushed in embarrassment. Saoirse was lucky he really referred to her deep, romantic love for Eren, but Ian had mistook Mikasa, since she only loves him as a brother.

"It's not like that." Mikasa mumbled, but Ian already went away.

"Don't mind it, I know you're a loving sister who looks out for you brother," Saoirse assured, her blush fading away.

"I still don't get why they mistook me for a lover. I'm just looking out for Eren like a sister," Mikasa said.

"Well, let's get back to it later, we've got a mission to do." Saoirse instructed, and her friend nodded. They both looked down at Eren. They noticed the arms were taking longer to regenerate.

 _Hey...his arms are taking longer to regenerate than before. Eren...I'm worried I won't see you again. You assured me that you'll be fine, but I don't know if it'll be true or not. Dammit, I love you. I should stop being shallow and get on with the mission._

"Let's go." Mikasa said, running away and switching to 3DMG.

"R-Right." Saoirse said, following after.

* * *

"Do _not_ engage in combat unless you absolutely have to," a squad leader instructed his squad consisting of Jean, Janessa, Annie, Connie and others. "I want you out of the way; three cadets pertain. When you reach the wall, jump, that clear? Die and you'll piss me off. If a titan goes astray, we'll put him down."

"Understood." Janessa said.

"What do you mean, _if_?" Jean asked reluctantly. "It's not like we don't count or follow our protocol."

"We have to Jean, this is our only chance, if we don't do it now, it'll never happen," Janessa replied.

"What if our situation gets risky?" Annie asked, who overheard them. "Are we afraid to act on our own discretion or what?"

The squad leader turned to her. "Whatever we'll make it easier on."

They heard a large crash, which made the squad turn their heads to the noise. "They're here! Move out!" the squad leader instructed.

"Yes sir!" Jean answered.

The titan fell down to the ground, who had it's nape sliced by Mitabi and Ian. As long as they keep this up, the plan will go exactly as said and they would win, no matter how many deaths would occur, because if they attain victory, their deaths wouldn't be in vain.

Mitabi looked up to see a titan about to grab him and he braced himself, when Saoirse sliced the hand off and Mikasa sliced the nape efficiently, saving their fellow squad leader. The girls landed on the roof with Ian and Mitabi.

" _Son of a bitch! Behind us!_ " Ian warned.

"It's a thirteen meter!" a soldier called out.

The said titan was climbing on the roof, attempting to devour those who stand near it. " _And from the looks of it he's about to pounce on Yeager!_ "

Mikasa and Saoirse's eyes widened.

"Heads up! _We've got four more coming through the gate!_ " the soldier told them. " _All of them ten meters at least!_ "

"Right rear! Ackerman and Hillman, _yours!_ " Ian instructed.

They turned to him. " _Sir!_ " they said and ran towards the titan.

" _Keep it away from him at all costs!_ " Ian said one more time. "All the rest of, here!"

Mikasa and Saoirse ran towards the thirteen meter titan. Saoirse latched her hook on the leg and sliced it off, while she let Mikasa latch her hook on the nape and slice it efficiently. After, they noticed the titans were coming towards where they are now. They knew there aren't any enough of them to be attracted at, so their best guess is that the titans are after Eren.

" _Saoirse! Mikasa!_ " Armin's voice called out.

The girls turned to see Armin standing on Eren's nape.

"Why'd the plan go out?!" Armin asked.

"Armin?!" Mikasa exclaimed.

"Armin, what are you doing here?" Saoirse asked. "You were supposed to be with the others to lure the titans away!"

" _Why on earth here is he sloppered like this?!"_ Armin demanded.

"Get out of there!" Saoirse said.

"Get out of there, it's dangerous!" Mikasa said. "Something went wrong. His control must have welled him like that!"

"We don't know, but the thing we can guess is that he lost control! You have to help him Armin! He's our only hope!" Saoirse called out.

Armin looked at his buddy. He was in a state of panic at the same time, because his original plan failed to meet standards.

" _We tried to snap him out of it but couldn't get him to respond!_ " Mikasa told him. "He's been out like this for the past few minutes!"

"He won't wake up!" Saoirse said.

"But the plan-!" Armin called out.

"We have to shift tact! Right now all we can do is protect him!" Mikasa said. " _He's defenseless! And there's-there's just so many of them! We don't know how much longer we can keep this up!"_

" _All we know is that we're running out of time! The titans could devour him any minute now! This situation is pretty bad! Real bad!"_ Saoirse exclaimed.

Armin stared in disbelief. His plan was already at the peak of failing. If Eren dies, then it'll be all over. He turned to his buddy. He then realized how to cut the nape open to view Eren. He raised his blades.

" _ARMIN!_ " Mikasa and Saoirse both yelled.

"I'm pulling him out of here! You two just hold of the other titans as long as you can!" Armin instructed.

Mikasa and Saoirse's eyes widened. " _B-But-_ "

They were interrupted when Armin walked onto the center of the nape. "When Eren first emerged from the form, it was from the weak spot!" Armin recalled, raising his blades. " _I don't know, but something tells me there's a bigger part of the picture!"_

 _"You think so?!"_ Saoirse exclaimed.

" _I'm positive of it!_ " Armin replied.

Mikasa stared in disbelief.

"How'd these damn things work?!" Armin asked. "It'll be alright, as long as I don't hit the center."

He nervously raised his blades. He shook, knowing it's consequences. " _This won't kill him...but...well it is going to hurt..._ " he mumbled nervously.

" _A halt!_ " Armin yelled, about to stab it.

" _NO!_ " Saoirse and Mikasa screamed in concern.

Armin stabbed the nape at it's side, causing Eren's titan form to roar in pain. Mikasa and Saoirse gasped as it struggled when it felt the pain, roaring louder and louder.

Saoirse glanced at the other titans, who were attracted by the roar.

" _Dammit!_ " she yelled.

The shaking caused Armin to stumbled and fall until he got a grip of his sword.

" _Armin be careful!_ " Saoirse called out.

" _Stop it! You'll just get yourself killed!_ " Mikasa cried out in a state of panic.

" _I'm f_ _ine! Just do what you can to keep the rest at bay! Trust me, there's other people you should be worried about!_ " Armin assured. " _Now leave Eren to me and you two do what you do best!_ "

Both of them were reluctant. The situation kept getting worse, but as long as they keep the titans at bay long enough, Eren should be able to get back up and seal the hole with the boulder. They eventually went away, but Saoirse stopped for a moment to glance at Eren.

 _Eren...what are we gonna do without you? I swear I'll never forgive myself if you never come back..._

She followed Mikasa to Squad Leader Ian and Mitabi.

Armin leaned closer. " _Eren!_ Can you hear me?" he asked, glancing at his friend below, glued onto the nape. "You've got to pull it together; if you stay like this, we're all going to die!"

Still nothing. " _Whatever this body's doing to you,_ _fight it!_ You're Eren Yeager, _dammit!"_ the boy protested. " _What's this steam of lump and flesh have on you, huh?!"_

Still no response. " _Come on, dammit!_ " he pleaded. " _Wake up! Get out of there! We need you-Saoirse needs you! Eren!_

Saoirse could still hear it from afar. She was breathing eradicately, knowing if this lasts long then that would be the end of everything. She glanced at Mikasa and the squad leaders, and back at Eren, back at her friends and squad leaders, then back at Eren. She needed to make a choice. If she stayed and let Armin wake Eren up, then that would take longer and that will fail to show her loyalty towards Eren. If she joined Armin and let Mikasa and the Squad Leaders fight, they might die without her, and she would never forgive myself.

Someone will live and someone will die, but she must choose wisely. However, she reviewed her choice to join Armin into waking Eren up. If she truly loved Eren, then she should go help him as well. After all, she is loyal to the one she loves the most. But with that choice, Mikasa and the others would die without her. She closed her eyes.

 _I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry! It'll be my fault if one of the ones I care about die! These choices just only lead to a fatal fate! Mikasa and the squad leaders will die if I don't help them, and Eren's gonna go out if I don't help him! What am I gonna do?! My loyalty is just testing on me!_

 _Dammit..!_

She opened her eyes.

 _Wait...loyalty is something you desire to do to your loved ones, isn't it? I-I get it. You stay loyal to the ones who you love and cherish the most. Mikasa and the squad leaders...I love them all and I should stay loyal to them..but Eren...I love him. I loved him more than anyone else in the world. Father has taught me that wether or not the choice shows one loyalty towards one, in the end, your loyalty could mean something and everything._

"Squad Leader Ian!" Saoirse called out.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm going to help Armin wake up Eren! I won't leave my friend to do it alone!" she declared.

" _What?! Hillman, we need you here to fend of the titans! Arlert is fine on his own!_ " Ian said.

Mikasa watched them.

"Please sir! Eren doesn't only need Armin's help-he needs my help as well! If I don't help him and Arlert, I'll never forgive myself and I'll forever doubt my loyalty towards the one I truly love the most! Eren is the one person I cherish and love out of this whole world, and I'll stay loyal to him, no matter what!" Saoirse said.

Ian glanced at Armin again, who was begging Eren to wake up. He nodded, seeing the point.

"I understand your loyalty Hillman," Ian said. "Ackerman and I will fend off the titans while you and Arlert wake Yeager up. Now we're depending on you two; you must wake him up, or that'll be the end of everything. Understood?"

"Sir!" Saoirse said willingly and went back to where Eren's titan form and Armin is.

"Continue to fend off the titans! We have to keep them from eating Hillman and Arlert from waking Yeager up!" Ian instructed.

Mikasa smirked at her friend.

 _You really are my friend. Not because you're loyal to Eren, but it's because you stayed loyal to the one whom we're depending on now._

 _"Armin!"_ Saoirse called out as she approached him and Eren.

" _Saoirse?!_ You're supposed to be with the squad!" the boy said.

"I know! But I'm not gonna let you wake Eren up alone; I promise to stay loyal to him as well, so we're even!" Saoirse said, latching her hook onto Eren's nape and landing next to Armin.

" _Hey! Eren! Are you hearing me? It's me, Saoirse!_ " she called out to him.

"I tried to call him but he's not responding! Something is horribly wrong!" Armin yelled.

He continued to pound on the nape. " _You're mom, remember?! Remember what they did to her?! You were meant to avenging her death! You swore a massacre to the titans!_ "

" _EREN! Please! Not only that, but you meant to go see the outside world along with me and Mikasa and Armin together! You swore to end the titans' reign and let humanity be free! You're the only one who is truly faithful to the fight against the titans so wake up, dammit! EREN!_ " Saoirse yelled louder than Armin.

* * *

Eren was in a world of fantasy, he was lying on the couch with his blanket covering him. His father, his _mother_ and Mikasa in front of him. He was in his house. An astral plane in form of his house. Eren glanced at Armin and Saoirse, who were outside his window. They continued to pound onto the window.

"You're not making any sense, Armin and Saoirse," he said. He was too influenced by what he was seeing.

"My mom's not dead."

* * *

" _Eren! Eren, please!_ " Armin pleaded.

Saoirse lowered her head and started crying whilst pounding onto the nape.

" _Please...Eren...Eren...wake up..wake up! I'm tired of seeing you being taken away..._ " she sobbed, her tears spilling on the nape. She leaned her head on the nape and pounded louder; even harder than Armin.

" _PLEASE EREN! Snap out of it! Goddammit snap out of it! We need you here! I need you right now! Come back to us...come back to me!_ " Saoirse sobbed harder.

" _You have to push through with it!_ " Armin cried as well, continuing to pound on the nape. " _I know you're in there, listen to us!_ "

" _We know you're there! Just show that you're fine, please! Our lives our depending on you now! If you don't snap out of it immediately we will be eaten by the titans in vain never get to see the outside world and that'll be the end of everything! GODDAMMIT PLEASE wake up! EREN!"_ Saoirse pleaded louder.

" _Saoirse's right! If you don't get a move on the titans are going to kill us!"_ Armin cried. " _It'll all end right here!_ "

* * *

Armin and Saoirse continued to pound on the window in the astral world.

"Armin, Saoirse, seriously what the hell's gotten into you? And Saoirse... _why're you crying?_ " Eren said said, noticing whilst the girl continued to call out, a stream of tears flowed down her face.

"What's this? Get a move on..crap.." Eren said. "I don't want to move anything...this right here is good enough for me... _It's not like I wanna be a scout._ "

* * *

While this was happening, the situation from afar was getting worser and worser by the minute. Titans are already consuming most soldiers. As they heard them scream, this prompt them to move faster. Jean, Janessa, Connie and Annie were running away from the titans.

"Well, this just keeps getting better and better, does it?" Janessa complained sarcastically.

"Hell it is," Jean replied.

" _Fantastic!_ Wether we like it or not, we're on our own now!" Annie said, realizing the current situation they're in now. Mikasa continued to run as she saw more people getting eaten, adding more fear and speed to their running. It was now or never. As a soldier was about to get eaten, Ian sliced the nape off, saving his comrade.

" _Yeah! That's what I thought, you bastard!_ " Mitabi yelled.

A titan slammed it's hand, attempting to crush them, but they dodged in time, barely.

" _Get them from distance!_ " Ian instructed.

" _I got this captain!_ " Mikasa assured, running to the titan. " _I'll help team Mitabi!_ "

She jumped in the air behind the titan and about to slice it.

Meanwhile, Connie barely dodged a titan attempting to grab him. He tried to latch his hook on the wall, but it failed.

" _What the-?!_ " Connie exclaimed.

He looked at the titan, knowing this is how he's gonna go out.

"Connie look out!" Janessa called out.

Suddenly, a latch hit the hand of the titan and it turned to see Jean and Janessa behind, who were attempting to distract it and kill it.

" _Jean! Janessa!_ " Connie called out.

" _Get up the wall!_ " Jean ordered.

" _And quick! We'll distract this bastard for as long as we can!_ " Janessa said.

The two began to run for their life as the titan chased after them. The titan attempted to crush them, but failed. The two reached a corner and glanced behind. The titan was reaching out to them.

"Here monster monster, over here~" Janessa chirped, waving to get their attention whilst getting ready to function her gear.

Jean smirked, knowing the distraction's going well as planned. He triggered the button, but it didn't release the grappling hook. He tried again, failure. His gear was failing to function.

"You malfunction now?!" Jean complained.

A titan was approaching behind them without Jean being aware, being distracted on why his gear didn't function.

" _JEAN LOOK OUT!_ " Janessa yelled.

They both turned to see the titan behind them, with its face of hunger and satisfaction. Janessa became frozen by fear, realizing this was it. She didn't even have her first kiss with Jean yet and confessing her love. The titan raised it's hand, attempting to crush them again.

" _Look out!_ " Jean yelled.

Before the titan could hit them, Jean pushed her and himself out of the way, barely dodging in time. The two landed on the ground on top of each other and Jean immediately got up, blushing lightly for close contact with her.

"Dammit, don't go freezing like that on me again, I've had enough people dying today," he said.

"S-Sorry, I-I thought it was the end of the line," Janessa said, blushing lightly. "Why is your gear malfunctioning?"

"I don't know, _dammit!_ " Jean complained, attempting to pull the trigger again, but to no avail.

Connie and Annie successfully made it on top of the wall, but they realized that Jean and Janessa aren't with them yet.

" _Jean! Janessa!_ " Connie called out to them on the chaos down below. They found them running from a titan.

"What are they doing?" Connie asked. " _Why the hell aren't they using their gear?!_ "

Connie then realized it and faced Annie. "Hang on- don't tell me- _it's not working?!_ " he concluded.

" _I_ am _not_ gonna die today!" Jean declared, running away from the titan.

" _We_ won't!" Janessa corrected.

The redhead eventually slowed down because she was already tired from too much running. She stopped and kneeled down to catch her breath. Jean noticed she didn't follow.

" _Go on, I-I-I'll catch up...to...you.._ " she panted.

Jean growled and ran over to her, grabbing her arm and making her run with him.

"Like hell you would," Jean said.

The two entered an abandoned house, in which they can finally catch their breath and safe, for now.

"Way to go, dragging everybody down, great job," he mumbled to himself.

"Don't say that, be thankful we escaped," Janessa said.

Suddenly, they heard loud footsteps. They glanced at the window and saw a dead soldier with his gear still on. Perhaps it could work.

"Jean-don't tell me you're going outside to retrieve that gear, aren't you?" Janessa said. "What if there's a titan nearby when we don't know?"

"Look around you; there's no titan around this area unless they're coming here," Jean said, standing up and walking to the door.

"Wait! Jean! I can lend you my gear!" Janessa pleaded, beginning to take it off.

" _What?_ _Screw that,_ the last thing I needed was for you to get devoured on, I'm not accepting someone's risk for now," Jean said.

"It's okay; I'll be fine," Janessa assured.

"But there's a gear outside! I can take it!" Jean argued.

"Isn't it stealing? We shouldn't steal stuff even the people who own it are dead," Janessa said.

"Don't be timid right now Janessa; we have to steal if it's _absolutely_ necessary, is that it?" Jean asked.

"I-I..." Janessa mumbled, trying to stop Jean from stealing because she didn't like stealing. But since he had no choice, she allowed him to do so.

* * *

Armin and Saoirse have been trying to wake Eren up, but to no avail.

" _Eren..please...for me...for us...for Saoirse..."_ he pleaded.

" _Eren...wake up..."_ Saoirse pleaded.

* * *

"Remember when we were kids?" Armin asked in the astral world. "All we could talk about is the world outside."

Suddenly, Eren's eyes lit up, beginning to come back to his senses.

"That's right...it's our life long dream, all of us," Saoirse said.

"You know...beyond the walls, frozen tundra that stretches to the skies," Armin began to recall. "Sand dumes...oceans...forests...the world my parents wanted to see.."

* * *

"I'd always thought you'd loved that dream," Armin mumbled, smiling. "I was kind of sad it didn't come up anymore. But I realized that you let it go because you didn't want me to join the Scouts."

* * *

"No...I just..." Eren said, standing up from his astral couch.

"And Eren...I...I.." she was reluctant to say it, but if she said it, it would work."I... _love you_ ," Saoirse finally confessed after so long. "I dreamed that one day the four of us will see the world beyond the walls...you and I will have a house near the ocean...I really love you Eren...It's okay if you don't like me back...so please...we need you right now... _I need you Eren. I love you more than anyone else in the world..._

* * *

"...and that I...I wish we will survive together so we can live our dreams with each other and Mikasa with Armin.." Saoirse continued whilst crying and smiling. "I care about you...a lot...so Eren..please...wake up..."

* * *

Eren glanced at Saoirse outside his astral window, in which she was sobbing and smiling.

"Saoirse..." Eren mumbled.

"Tell us...honestly...even though your first step beyond the wall with the difference between a warpath..and hell on earth...even though it meant risking your life..gambling the possibility of dying like my parents! Why...? Why throw caution to the wind and venture outside?"

Eren slowly turned around. "What kind of question is that..?" he asked. "Don't play dumb; you know damn well why..."

He paused for a moment. "And Saoirse...of course I wouldn't not like you...I-I also like you...no, I also _love_ you, so for you and the others...I'll wake up and explore the world with Mikasa...Armin...and especially you..."

He turned to Armin. "And Armin...because the _world beyond the walls is my birthright!_ "

As soon as he said it, fire began to fill the astral house, more determined than ever.

* * *

Finally with that, Eren's titan form began to move.

" _We did it Armin! He's woken up! Now he can lift the boulder and save Trost!_ " Saoirse cheered, with tears of joy spilling down her face.

" _Yes! Hell yes! Go Eren!_ " Armin cheered.

Eren roared, ready to lift the boulder.

* * *

 **YAY! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, give a like, fave or review, or I recommend you guys to do all. And as always...stay tuned for the next chapter with my OCs! Awinx out!**

 **Attack on Titan belongs to Hajime Isayama, episodes belong to Production I.G but my OCs belong to me!**


	13. Primal Desire

**I am so sorry to leave you guys hanging! Exams were a few weeks ago and I had to study, but the good news is that my grades are high thanks to my effort! As I said, I'll try to update when I can, and plus semester break is coming up, so that's a good time to update the story frequently! I am such a horrible writer :(**

 **BTW, have you guys read Chapter 85 and 86 of the manga yet? They finally reveal the basement and the origin of the titans! Never expected Isayama-san to reveal it so quickly.**

* * *

Jean and Janessa were panting with exhaustion from running so fast from the titans. Apparently, Jean's gear malfunctioned suddenly and while Janessa's was working fine, she was willing not to leave him. They eventually entered an abandoned house where they were safe, for now.

"Way to go, dragging everybody down, great job," Jean mumbled when he finally caught his breath.

"Don't say that, be thankful we escaped," Janessa replied.

Suddenly, they heard loud footsteps outside that could have caused the floor to vibrate from the sound. They both looked outside the window and saw the titan that they were running from, looking for them and desperate for meal.

The redhead noticed her friend glance at a dead soldier which still had it's gear on.

Jean turned away from the window.

"Hey, you're not gonna steal that guy's gear, are you?" she asked, still panting.

"Yep, and maybe I won't die today," Jean replied.

" _We_ won't, and that's not gonna happen." Janessa corrected.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Garrison Squad Leaders were busy fighting off the titans to give Eren some time to recover so their plan would succeed. But unfortunately, due to the amount of time spent killing and slashing, it looked like Eren wouldn't come after all.

Rico slipped and skidded with her feet on the roof. She stood up, holding her blades with eyes in shock.

" _What are we gonna do, captain?_ " her comrade asked.

They watched in horror as a titan stuffed a soldier into it's mouth, finishing him off. The situation was getting worser by the minute.

"We're all that's left!" the comrade said.

Without any choice, Rico faced her. "We go back to the boulder!" she commanded.

Ian, Mikasa and another comrade flew to the houses where they can get a good near view of the breached wall to see how many titans are coming in. It was surprisingly shocking there were more than ten titans coming in from the outside.

"Status report, five titans approaching from the gate, sir!" a comrade told Ian.

* * *

Back at the house, Jean watched until the titan walked away, giving his chance to steal the gear from the dead soldier. As the titan was out of sight and far away, he made a break for it, in which the redhead followed.

As Jean knelt down to remove it, his friend looked around nervously.

"You have to hurry, because titans are walking around and worse case; they might find us," she said anxiously.

"If it isn't all clear, we'll never make it out alive!" Jean said. "I've got to do something!"

Connie and Annie were watching far away, seeing Jean remove the gear from their distance.

" _Jean! Janessa!_ " Connie shouted. "His gear _is_ busted!"

"What about Janessa's?" Annie asked. "It clearly looks fine."

"Either that or both have busted gears!" the buzz cut boy said.

Marco and Keira approached, hearing the commotion.

"What's happening?" the freckled boy asked.

"And where's Janessa and Jean?" Keira asked in a worried tone.

For their questions to be answered, they looked directly at where Connie and Annie were staring at.

Unfortunately, the horse-faced boy was having trouble removing it from the soldier.

" _Dammit!_ " he cursed, growing frustrated.

"Hurry!" Janessa exclaimed.

" _I am, goddammit!_ " Jean cried. " _The hell's wrong with this gear?! Oh come on, work with me here!"_

She heard footsteps from behind and saw the same titan that was chasing them a while ago coming back to finally find them and make them it's next big meal.

"Oh _crap!_ " she exclaimed. " _There's a titan from behind!_ "

It was getting closer, and it's most likely they _will_ die today.

" _Jean! Janessa! Look out!_ " Marco cried out.

They both turned around and saw Keira and Marco come towards them.

" _Marco?!_ " Jean cried out.

" _Keira?!_ " Janessa used the same tone he had used.

"What the hell are you two doing?!" he asked.

" _We'll cover you!_ " Keira told them.

Both landed on the ground and ran for the titan to follow them, giving Jean and Janessa more time.

After what it seemed like forever, Jean finally managed to remove the gear from the soldier.

Connie also glided towards the houses nearby and ran as he watched the Jean and Janessa took a long time, knowing titans could come at any minute.

" _Crap!_ " he exclaimed. "Why do you gotta go be a hero?!". Annie followed and ran with him.

Jean finally put it on and he was ready to go again, with Janessa following him. They both dodged and avoided titans, as if they were suddenly filled with adrenaline at the same time.

" _That was close!_ " Janessa said.

"My gear better not malfunction like that again in a crisis like this one!" Jean replied, barely dodging a titan's hand.

Suddenly, Jean fell to the ground when he missed the titan's hand.

" _Jean!_ " Janessa yelled out.

"What?! You've gotta be kidding me!" Jean said, examining it's hand trigger. " _Why is the trigger so stiff?!_ "

She went behind the titan's neck and sliced it's nape.

"Take that, _you savage beast!_ " she shouted.

As she was done, she landed on the ground and ran towards him.

" _What the hell?_ Is it your gear?" she asked. Because she was in a state of panic, she grew more worried, especially worrying about Jean.

" _Well surprisingly, the trigger is stiff!_ " Jean replied.

" _Just great!_ " she complained, knowing the situation they're currently in is getting worst. " _What do we do?!_ "

Suddenly, another titan was approaching them. This was how they were going to die.

" _Jean! Janessa!_ " Connie screamed.

They both turned to see him. " _Connie?!_ " the redhead said.

He jumped towards the titan, but he hit his head and landed on the next roof of the house that was across the the roof he jumped from.

" _Are you insane?!_ " Jean exclaimed.

" _You're supposed to be back at the wall with Annie!_ " Janessa said.

" _I couldn't let you two die on me, dammit!_ " Connie replied. " _What are you two waiting for?! Get out of there!_ "

"It's Jean's gear! _The trigger is stiff!_ " she said.

Before the buzz cut boy could reply, the titan slammed it's hand, but thankfully, it missed.

With no other choice, he was forced to stick with the gear. Before the titan could grab them both, they flew out of there before they were titan food.

Jean looked back, but when he faced front, he gasped. Another titan was in front of him, with it's face full of hunger and desperation to eat humans.

The two froze in fear, knowing this was how they were gonna die. After coming so far, death was waiting for them after hundreds of times that they missed it.

Suddenly, they saw Annie land on the neck since the face was upside down, letting Jean and Janessa escape. Annie's impact caused the titan to fall on the floor.

" _Thanks Annie!_ " Janessa called out.

" _Ugh, don't mention it!_ " she said.

The two continued to glide their way towards the wall, where they knew it would be safe.

" _Jesus, can you believe how many near death situations we faced today! We almost got killed!_ " she said.

" _Well if we don't want to face another one, we have to be more careful then!_ " Jean replied.

They finally landed on the roof, followed by Marco and Keira. They were finally safe after everything down there. Connie and Annie also landed with them.

" _That...was close!_ " Janessa panted. " _We owe all of you._

"Don't mention it," Connie replied.

But Jean was angry at them for risking their lives. " _You idiots got a death wish?!_ " he argued.

"Don't even start man," Marco warned.

"Yeah, you scared the hell out of me," Connie argued.

"At least we saved both of your lives," Keira said.

Annie tucked her hair out of her face and when she faced the town below, she gasped. " _I'll be damned._ " she mumbled.

Jean and Janessa heard what she said and when the faced where she was looking at, they froze and gasped.

* * *

Mikasa looked down, knowing this was the end. But when she heard loud footsteps, she looked up and gasped and froze at what she saw.

Rico and her comrade heard the footsteps and glanced at it, and when they did, they froze as well.

Ian, Mitabi and the others heard it as well, knowing those footsteps aren't normal titan steps. They looked around, curious on what's making that sound. They finally saw what made them freeze in place, shocking them.

It was Eren. In his titan form, carrying the _boulder._ The mission is going well. Mikasa's eyes widened, shocked and relief in those pupils. Eren was struggling with all his might to carry the heavy boulder, and it even caused his hands to hurt, generating smoke everywhere.

" _Eren..._ " Mikasa sighed in relief.

" _Mikasa!_ " A boy and girl voiced called out in unison. The Asian girl turned to see Saoirse and Armin land on the same roof as them and ran to them.

" _Saoirse! Armin!_ " Mikasa gasped.

"We finally managed to make him move!" the brunette told her.

"He came out of it somehow, like he said, he's _determined to seize the mission through the end!_ " the blonde boy told her. "And if it wasn't for Saoirse's help, I wouldn't have done it somehow!"

Saoirse smiled, knowing not only did she make him snap out of it, but working together totally did the trick.

"As long as we got his back, will he head for the wall," Armin said. " _Victory will be ours!_ "

" _This is all what we were waiting for! We can't back out now! This is the chance we've longed for so long!_ " Saoirse shouted.

" _Defend him!_ " Ian commanded. "To the last man if it comes through!"

The worst part of this mission was many lives going to be gone, but knowing that Eren would successfully seal the hole, their deaths wouldn't be in vain.

"Eren _must_ reach the gate! I don't want a single titan anywhere near him!" Ian declared.

* * *

The squad leader's voice was loud enough for Jean and his friends to hear.

" _It looks like we're back on!_ " Jean said. " _Focus on keeping Eren safe!_ "

He ran and threw himself off the wall, and started to glide back down there to help Eren.

Janessa smirked. "Huh, since when did he...never mind." she mumbled. She knew that Jean is obsessed with everyone living for his own sake, but never saw him going for a risk.

"Come on guys! Let's do this!" Keira said, following Jean.

All five of them followed Jean, determined to help their friend.

Ian faced Mikasa, Saoirse and Armin.

"All three of you, _go!_ " the squad leader ordered. "I want you all with Eren immediately! _Hop to, soldiers! That's an order!_ "

" _Sir yes sir!_ " All three answered willingly.

Squad Leader Ian began to run towards the titans, but he stopped, realizing there are so many of them. Fear quickly overcame, but he shook it off, knowing he has to be ready for his time to come, and knew that with every death right now, they wouldn't be in vain.

He caught his friend Mitabi and his squad running towards them.

" _Team Mitabi! What are you doing?!_ " Ian shouted.

He ignored him. " _You ugly sons of bitches have lost all interest in us! We need to get closer without grabbing their attention!_ " Mitabi ordered.

They stopped. " _Hey big guy over here!_ " his squad mate shouted.

" _You walkin' away?!"_ he shouted to grab their attention. " _Maybe you want is to shove our blades right up your smelly asses!"_

The titans turned around. The distraction worked.

Mitabi was overwhelmed by bravery and fear at the same time, because he knew that he was going to die, but at the same time knowing his death isn't meaningless at all.

" _It worked!_ " his squad mate yelled.

" _We got two of them!_ " the other one cried out.

" _Alright! Make a beeline for the buildings!_ " Mitabi ordered, running away from the approaching titans.

Armin, Saoirse, Mikasa and the others watched as Mitabi and his squad distracted the titans.

"They're insane..." Armin said. " _Setting foot down there is suicide! If they get cornered somewhere there'll be nothing they can do!_ "

"They're risking their lives!" Saoirse said.

"Yeah, I know," a comrade mumbled.

"Let's move out." Ian said. He jumped off the roof and into the ground where the titans are. The others joined him.

" _Everyone follow Team Mitabi!_ " Ian ordered.

Armin and Saoirse watched as Ian and his squad ran to the titans to get their attention to keep them away from Eren. Mikasa turned to them. "Come on, we need to _go._ " she said.

She jumped off and glided towards Eren.

" _R-Right!_ " Saoirse said, with she and Armin following their friend.

Meanwhile, Ian ran to a titan, in which it tried to crush him, but it missed.

" _Come and get me!_ " he yelled at.

With the titans distracted, Eren's titan form was getting closer and closer to the gate. He felt so weak, because the weight of the boulder was heavy enough to crush him. He looked down and saw Saoirse, Mikasa and Armin staring at him, which gave him motivation.

As they caught his attention, they ran for the gate. When they were running for their lives, they looked around, seeing numerous soldiers getting eaten for Eren to reach the gate.

" _Eren's getting closer! He's almost there! Do all we can to defend him long enough to seal the hole!_ " Saoirse told them.

" _Hey! What's the matter?! Can't catch me?!_ " a soldier yelled for the titans near Eren. They turned their attention away from him and instead went for the soldier.

" _You never will with that attitude-_ "

Eventually, a titan succeeded in grabbing him and immediately chomped him. Mitabi looked at his fellow, eaten comrade.

" _No! Dammit!_ " he cried, only for a titan's hand to crush him to death.

More and more soldiers were getting eaten the closer Eren was to the gate. Eventually, the titans were out of Eren's reach, making it easier for him to carry the boulder.

They watched as soldiers were ripped off, eaten as a whole or their heads where chomped off. Saoirse began to cry as she realized more and more soldiers were getting wiped out, and they had a whole life ahead of them, but tried to shake it off, knowing their deaths meant humanity's first victory.

Ian was running for his life and saw another soldier being put inside a titan's mouth, and it happily crunched it to death. There were so many screams, as if the whole world was being dragged to hell.

The more soldiers got wiped out, Saoirse and her friends shed tears, knowing they had contributed enough for humanity. The situation was very depressing at the same time victorious.

They saw Squad Leader Ian in a titan's mouth.

" _Squad Leader Ian!_ " Saoirse choked out, more tears spilling down.

" _For..humanity..._ " those were his very last words before being finished off. Mikasa's eyes widened and cried much harder, because she admired him and he was the one who stayed loyal to the mission. Now they have to finish it off, for him, for the dead soldiers, for everyone, for humanity.

Titans crushed, ate and tore apart every soldier they could find. The casualties were increasing fast. Mikasa and her friends shed more tears as the larger casualties became.

Meanwhile, Jean and his friends did the same thing as well, only none of them were eaten. A titan nearly stomped on Connie, Annie barely dodged a titan's hand, Marco was on the roof trying to avoid titans while he watched Eren approach the gate, Jean was running for his life, and the two friends Janessa and Keira teased and mocked the titans.

" _Here, you smelly assholes!_ " Keira yelled.

" _Come get us! Go ahead!~_ " Janessa teased.

A titan attempted to crush them, but they flew out of there before they were even crushed on. They eventually landed on another area on the ground. But Keira realized that a crawling titan was merely inches away, knowing she is gonna die. She froze in fear.

Marco spotted her and her friend. " _Look out! Keira!_ " he tried to snap her out of it.

The titan lunged at her, but Janessa threw herself at Keira, making the titan miss them both and they landed on the ground, panting.

Keira smiled at her best friend. " _Janessa...thank you!_ " she said, tears of joy.

" _Don't mention it! I owe you one!_ " the redhead smiled and glided towards another area, followed by Keira. They eventually saw two titans approaching Eren, which prompted them to yell even louder.

" _Hey monsters! Over here~_ " Keira called out, raising both of her arms.

The two titans turned their attention away instead headed towards the girls.

Jean eventually went to Marco and the two boys saw their friends.

" _What the hell are those two doing?! They'll get themselves killed!_ " Jean shouted.

" _We have to help them!_ " Marco said, running towards where they were, followed by his friend Jean.

As the titans were getting closer to Janessa and Keira, they eventually ran away.

" _No one messes with our friend!_ " Janessa yelled, referring to Eren.

The titans continued to chase the two girls, as they continued taunting the titans whilst running. Unfortunately, they reached an alleyway and it was a dead end for both of them. The shadows of the two titans loomed over them and since the alleyway was big enough for the titans to fit in, they headed towards the girls.

"I guess this is it, huh?" Janessa said.

"Yeah..." Keira panted.

As the titans were getting closer, Janessa turned to her friend.

"Keira, I just want to say that it's been nice knowing you for so long! And that we'll be best friends forever, even in the afterlife!" she told him. "And we haven't even told Jean and Marco our feelings for them yet!"

Keira smiled. "That's good to hear!" she said. "I also wanted to tell you that-"

Before she could finish, blood was splattered from behind the titans' nape, and they fell to the ground, revealing Jean and Marco.

" _Jean!_ " Janessa said.

" _Marco!_ " Keira said.

"You two okay?" Marco asked.

"Still in one piece!" the redhead said.

"You better not do something like that again," Jean said. "Splitting up is better than getting both of you killed!"

He eventually glided towards a different direction, and Marco shifted to another one as well.

Janessa sighed. "I guess splitting up is better than getting both of us killed, right?" she asked.

"I'm not really into splitting up, but I'll agree!" Keira said.

Janessa began running to her designated direction, but Keira stopped her, remembering about what she was gonna say.

"Oh! Um-Janessa?" Keira asked.

The redhead stopped and turned around.

"Yeah?" she asked with a smile on her face.

Keira sighed. "Well, there's something I want to tell you, but maybe after when this is all over," she said.

"Why don't you say it now?" Janessa asked.

"With titans around to interrupt, I want a good time to tell you,"

Janessa nodded, and before she could shift to her direction, Keira stopped her for one last time.

"Oh! And before we both forget..." the caramel hair colored girl called out.

"Yes?"

"...let's meet at the houses near the south wall, so we will find each other eventually and I'll tell you what was I about to say to you."

"Sure. See you later!" Janessa smiled and glided away.

Keira smiled. She is excited to tell what she was gonna say to her friend. She shifted towards another direction.

* * *

Back at the entrance, Saoirse and her friends were guiding Eren when they saw a titan in front of the hole.

" _There's still one ahead of us!_ " Armin exclaimed.

" _We'll take care of it!_ " Mikasa said, running towards the titan with Saoirse. But they stopped when they saw a soldier from on top of the wall approach the titan.

" _Get out of the way!_ " Rico yelled, slicing the titan's back.

The titan attempted to crush Mikasa and her friends, but they dodged, with Saoirse slicing it's hands off, and Mikasa finishing it off by slicing it's nape. They both landed at the side of the bridge to the hole for Eren to seal it. He was already at the hole.

Armin's eyes widened and then yelled, " _GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

With that said, Eren threw the boulder in front of the hole, sealing the gate.

They did it.

They sealed it.

For the first time in history, humanity had attained it's first victory.

At the sound, Armin, Mikasa and the others watched in shock as their mission had succeeded. Janessa jumped in joy.

" _YES! EREN DID IT! WAY TO GO FOR OUR FRIEND!_ " the redhead screamed in joy.

Rico knelt down and tears spilled out from her eyes, overjoyed.

" _Comrades...y-your sacrifices...weren't in vain..._ " Rico sobbed.

With that said, she held her revolver in the air and shot a yellow flare, declaring the mission had succeeded.

"We had made history...this day...belongs to _humanity._ "

Pixis and the other Garrison soldiers were on the otherside of the wall, and they were as joyful as Rico was when they saw the yellow flare.

"Definitely yellow smoke, sir," Anka said. She held down the telescope. " _Oh my god...the mission was a success!_ "

With this said, the other soldiers gasped. This marks as the very first time humanity attained victory.

Pixis smirked at his well worked plan. "Deploy all reinforcements, bring the elite squad home."

Saoirse fell to her knees and with numerous tears spilling down her face, she smiled.

" _Good job Eren._ "

* * *

By the time he sealed the hole, it was already getting dark. Eren's titan form was still holding on the boulder and titans were approaching by.

"More titans!" Rico said. "Ackerman! Hillman! _Pull back!_ "

"With all due respect, we'll _not_ withdraw until we recover Eren!" Saoirse said.

The girls ran to his titan form and saw Armin on the nape.

" _Armin! How is he?!_ " Mikasa asked.

" _Is he alright?!_ " Saoirse asked anxiously.

He had already cut Eren out and was holding him. " _Unconscious and scarred to the touch!"_

But he was struggling to pull Eren out. " _We have to get him off the wall!_ "

"We're coming!" Saoirse said, when she and Mikasa ran towards them.

They both landed on the nape followed by Rico.

" _Dammit! He's sticked to the crocus!_ " Armin exclaimed. "I can't break him free!"

"What do we do?!" Saoirse asked.

"We will cut!" Rico said.

Mikasa faced her as if she was crazy. "Wait! We don't know what that might do!" she exclaimed.

But Rico ignored her and cut it open, setting Eren free. The impact caused Armin to fall on the ground with Eren. Saoirse was the first to land on them and examined Eren.

" _Armin, is he okay?_ " she asked.

Before he could answer, shadows loomed over the three of them and they froze in fear. Two titans were standing in front of them.

" _Eren! Armin! Saoirse!_ " Mikasa yelled out and began to run to them.

The titan held up it's hand, ready to grab him. Saoirse began hyperventilating, knowing that she's gonna die with them.

Suddenly, a flash of black and green cut the nape of the titan, and it also finished the other titan as well, saving the three of them from death. Armin and Saoirse helped him up and they turned to see the titans fall to their death. They saw the mysterious person land on the titan's body.

"Mikasa..." Armin said.

She landed next to her friends. "Who is that?"

"I've never seen him before.." Saoirse mumbled.

Eren was half conscious and was feeling so weak. He opened his eyes and caught a glance to what the mysterious person was wearing: It was a green cape and it had the Wings of Freedom on it.

" _...the wings...of freedom..._ " Eren muttered.

"Did he say the wings of freedom...?" Saoirse asked and turned her head the the mysterious person.

After a few seconds, the mysterious person turned his head towards the quartet.

"Pay attention kiddos, this is the part where you explain where it is _exactly_ I'm looking at." Captain Levi spoke with his usual deep, strict and monotone voice.

* * *

A few days had passed since the Trost district was sealed. Eventually, the Scout Regiment came to the rescue and finished off the rest of the titans. Afterwards, the soldiers who survived the massacre were assigned to clean the whole area, as it was filled with many dead bodies, with some bodies being thrown up by the titans.

And during the "clean up" operation, two remaining titans were captured for examination for the Scout Regiment. But the worst case in the aftermath was that there were so many casualties, estimated about two hundred seven deaths and some went missing, with one hundred ninety seven estimated for the injured.

During cleaning up, there were so many dead bodies that could cause someone to throw up.

But Janessa had forgotten about something important.

"Has any of you seen Keira?" she asked, her voice muffled because she was wearing cloth around her mouth.

Connie and Sasha shook their heads.

"We haven't seen her since the operation," Sasha said.

The redhead was getting worried by the minute. She eventually forgot about her duties and she found Jean.

"Hey, Jean," Janessa asked. "Have you seen Keira?"

"No, not since the operation," Jean said.

Janessa frowned and before she could leave, something shocking caught her eye. She was frozen, and she never imagined this would happen to her and Jean.

They both looked at the body. But it wasn't just any body at all.

Marco was laying on the floor, sliced in half up to his torso. Jean couldn't move at all at the sight of his best friend.

"No..." Janessa began to tear up.

"I-Is that... _Marco..._?" Jean said.

She backed away and ran faster to the direction ahead of her.

" _Janessa! Wait!_ " he called out and took one last glance at his deceased friend before running after her. He had to calm her down before anything happens. The thought of his lost friend made him run slower, and he eventually found Janessa, staring at an even more gruesome sight. She fell to her knees and her body was shaking so intensely.

" _K-Keira...?_ "

In fact, seeing another dead friend made their shock fuel grow. Her lifeless body was laid on the floor, with her tiny pupils at the top of her eyes, and her neck was red. Her body was crushed and blood spilled everywhere to the point no blood was in her body anymore.

Janessa couldn't take this anymore, and ran back to where Marco's lifeless body was. She fell to her knees and sobbed. She never imagined losing her friend Marco, including her best friend Keira.

" _Keira...please...what were you about to tell me..._ "

Jean eventually caught up and was ten times shocked then she was. Janessa suddenly stood up and threw herself into his chest.

" _Please tell me this is all a bad dream! Please tell me it's an hallucination Jean! They can't be dead they just can't be...!_ " she was sobbing and she clutched herself into his chest, tears spilling all over.

" _I-It's not...dammit..!_ " he began to sob as well and he embraced her back, overwhelmed by sadness by the loss of their best friends. Eventually, their moment was interrupted by the nurse.

"If you have a name for this one and the other one I saw, it'll be helpful to pass it along," she said. "I am terribly sorry for both of your losses."

They never let each other go. " _They're...they're not the type to go out..."_ the horsefaced boy was sobbing intensely.

" _Marco...what happened...?"_ he was crying in Janessa's shoulder.

" _How...how could this have happened...?...Keira..."_ the redhead sobbed harder. In fact, it was like her happy-go lucky persona suddenly went out and was replaced by sadness, depression and shock.

" _...s-somebody must have saw it...he..he...somebody knows how they went out..._ " Jean sobbed. " _...so...sorry Janessa..._ "

"If you two know both of their names, I need them," the nurse said. "We don't have time for this."

They both let go and turned to the nurse.

"Please you two, do you understand?" she said. "It's been two days since we boarded up the hole of Wall Rose. That's too long. We're nowhere near accounting for all the dead. Unless these poor souls aren't burned soon, an epidemic is likely to break out. We're the first line of defence against secondary disaster. We'll ament the fall after we've done our jobs."

Janessa wanted to argue, but she was too depressed to even do it.

"Is that understood?" the nurse asked.

With no other choice, he faced him. " _He was a member of the 104th Cadet Course, Captain of Squad 19...Marco...Bott..._ "

"Bott. Noted then. What about the other one? The crushed girl? Do any of you know her?" the nurse asked. "I saw you two stare at it."

Janessa closed her eyes and said it with tears. " _Also member of the 104th Cadet Course...a-a...member of s-squad 19...!...K...K...Keira B...Beringer..._ "

"Beringer, noted then," the nurse jotted it down. "Thank you cadets, I appreciate the help. Continue."

She walked away. Janessa couldn't stop crying so hard. She wanted to forget it, but instead memories of her time with her best friend had just caused her to break down even more. She put herself in Jean's chest again and continued to mourn, with Jean also embracing her back and sobbing into her shoulder. They were having the worst day ever: their two best friends had died, and no one knew how they went out.

* * *

Eventually, since Saoirse and her friends were Eren's closest comrades, they were questioned about his titan ability and his relationship with all of them. It only took a few minutes, but when they were done, they were left to their own business. And since they were in the Scout Regiment HQ, they were left to roam around.

But Saoirse hasn't been doing well since she learned that Eren was in custody. Well, she is well, but has been a lot more worried than before because she is very careful in keeping her loved ones safe since she couldn't do it before, and because her confession made him snap out of it, she was also worried if Eren likes her back or not.

More importantly, she couldn't stop thinking about the soldier that saved her, and it isn't Levi. All she could remember was strawberry blonde hair tied into a braid.

* * *

 _Eventually, after being saved by Levi, the quartet had to go to the walls to be safe, and the nearest wall was far away. But for this case, they all split up and agreed to meet each other on top of the wall. Saoirse was only halfway there and before she could shift, a shadow loomed over her._

 _Two titans cornered her, and she knew this was her end. Even worse; her gas was almost out. She closed her eyes, waiting for her death. But suddenly, she heard shifting, which caused her to open her eyes._

 _She saw blood splatter behind the titan and turned to see the other one sliced in it's nape as well. Both fell to their death, and Saoirse got out of the way before she was crushed by the bodies._

 _Whoever who saved her, she had to say thank you. She saw the person on the titan, looking at her blades. Since it was dark, she couldn't see the appearance, although she only saw her hair color. It was strawberry blonde and was tied into a braid._

 _Saoirse decided to use this chance to thank the Scout. "Hey! Thanks for saving me!"_

 _But when she said that, the soldier looked away and quickly shifted into another direction._

 _"Hey! Wait!" the brunette called out, but she frowned. Was that soldier just shy or she is just one of those cold soldiers?_

 _She had to find her again and maybe be friends._

* * *

Saoirse's thoughts had caused her to unknowingly stumble at the back of the Scouts HQ and before she could return to her friends, she stopped. She saw the same strawberry blonde haired soldier that saved her, and she was talking to another person. She ducked behind the corner and waited until the soldier was gone. Saoirse glanced at her and saw her appearance. She has a short figure, had long strawberry blonde hair compared to her braid, pale skin and large blue eyes.

"Hi! You were the one who saved me, right?" Saoirse jumped out of her spot, causing the girl to jolt.

But unfortunately, the pale skinned scout ran away.

"What did I say?" Saoirse asked and not willing to let her get away again, she chased after her.

"Wait! I was supposed to say thank you for saving me two days ago!" the brunette yelled.

The strawberry haired girl didn't look back but she almost tripped on a twig, which made her stumbler and run faster.

 _Why is she running away from me?_

Saoirse chased the girl until she reached an alleyway, and she was cornered. Saoirse slowly approached her, which made her look away.

"Come on, I'm not gonna bite," she assured and walked to the girl, in which she looked away even more.

This was getting a bit awkward. Saoirse smiled nervously and waved at the girl.

"I just want to thank you for saving me a few days ago, well, that was a...er...neat move, I appreciate it," Saoirse said, hands behind her hair.

The girl glanced and looked away again.

The brunette continued to act nice. "What's your name?" she asked, wanting to be friends.

" _...um...I-I'm...Rose...m..._ " she spoke in an almost quiet voice, making it hard to hear.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Saoirse asked, still smiling like an idiot.

"... _my names uh...Rosemar..._ " she backed away, getting flustered.

"Sorry, couldn't catch that."

" _...rosemary..._ "

But eventually, her voice was squeaky and quiet, so it made Saoirse hard to tell.

It was silent for a moment.

"Well, I see that you're shy, so we should meet again sometime when you overcome it, right?" Saoirse asked, still smiling nervously.

The girl squeaked and nodded.

"Ookay..." Saoirse said and began to walk away.

"By the way, the name's Saoirse. _Saoirse Hillman._ "

Before she could walk away, the girl held out her hand and spoke a little louder.

" _Wait! You said...y-your last name is...Hillman...r-right?"_ she asked.

Saoirse turned around. "You knew my father?" she questioned.

The girl nodded. "A really nice man, and I admire him," she began to speak normally. "S-So...you're his daughter..?"

She nodded.

"Oh...that's nice..." the girl said and tucked her hair. "M-My name's Rosemary..i-it's nice to meet you."

She shyly held out her hand and Saoirse shook it.

"That's a really nice name," she said nicely.

"O-Oh...thank you..."

"I just wanted to say thank you again for saving me back there, I would have been titan food by now, hehe..." Saoirse said.

Rosemary nodded. "I would do that for anyone."

"So...um...friends..?" Saoirse asked, even though she knew it was sudden.

The shy girl smiled. "Of course! W-Well, even though we just met, but you seem like a nice soldier."

 _Rosemary's such a nice person._

Suddenly, they heard a woman's voice.

" _Rosemary~ Where are you~_ "

They jumped.

"Oh! M-My friend's calling me," she said. "I-I'll see you again!"

Rosemary ran out of the alleyway. She looked at Saoirse and shot a pure smile before running to her friend.

Saoirse smiled also. But as she walked out of the alleyway, her worries for Eren came back to her again, replacing the thought of a new friend.

 _Do I really have to worry about him a lot? I hope he's alright..._

* * *

 **I am so sorry for killing Keira off...please don't kill me! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and review on what you think. I might update again tomorrow but expect an update in semester break! Sorry for rushing the last part.**

 **Awinx out! And sorry again for Keira's death. The feels man :(**


	14. Can't Look Into His Eyes Yet

**I can't believe I'm already in the second half of Season 1! I'll be updating frequently since you know Season 2 is coming and I want this story to be finished before then. BTW, Keira won't be appearing anymore because (SPOILERS) she died in the last chapter, so the new OC you'll be meeting will be shy, innocent Rosemary. I feel like I need to revise the beginning chapters...**

* * *

The news had spread everywhere and the latest headlines had it talking about Eren's titan form sealing the whole, and it spread like wildfire. People were so surprised to hear this because they had always believed titans were dangerous and do nothing but eat them for entertainment, but the situation now had changed it's whole story.

Rosemary woke up early since she's an early bird, and while she was carrying some papers to Corporal Levi's office, she saw a few soldiers holding the newspaper while some soldiers gossiping.

"Did you hear that a _titan_ sealed Wall Rose?"

"That's never happened in a hundred years,"

"Can we really trust that guy?"

"They are holding a trial for him today, what's his name?"

"Eren Yeager, I think,"

"I think he's dangerous..."

"Hell, he almost killed one of his friends,"

The girl was completely surprised by these news. She heard a few days ago that Eren was taken into custody by the Military Police, and at the same time was also surprised he can turn into a titan. As she was approaching the office, a soldier approached her carrying the newspaper.

"Hey Halter, have you seen the news yet?" the soldier asked, showing the newspaper.

"Y-Yes, I heard you people talking about it," she replied.

"Can you believe that bastard can really turn into a titan?" the soldier said. "Feels like we shouldn't trust him.

Rosemary blinked. "Why shouldn't we?"

"Because we've known titans," the soldier said. "All titans are dangerous, including the ones that destroyed Wall Maria. Who knows? Maybe that Yeager guy is one of them and we don't even know."

"W-Well, you shouldn't judge people right away..." the strawberry haired girl shyly told him.

The soldier raised an eyebrow so high, it almost touched his hair.

"Why even?"

Rosemary looked away. "You can't judge them just because of how they look, we just really need wait until we can judge them," she said. "Maybe he's not so bad after all, he's-"

"Well that's your statement, because I don't think he's ought to be trusted, it's hard to trust someone these days, ya know?" the soldier scoffed and walked away. "See you later midget."

Rosemary glared at him.

 _I'm not a midget._

Most of it was true because she was really short to be in the Scouts, but she didn't mind at all because it doesn't even matter. She continued her way to her superior's office and she knocked three times.

"It's Rosemary sir,"

"...come in."

She shyly opened the door knob and peeked inside, shaking nervously.

"I really don't have all day. Just get in."

"O-Oh, sorry sir..."

She was really shy whenever she's with him because one: She spends everyday with him in his quad and two, she's his personal assistant.

She slowly walked over to the desk and showed him the papers. "I'm done with the paperwork sir,"

Levi grabbed it and read it over. He stared at her again with his steel orbs. "I'll consider," he mumbled. "But you'll have to do some more paperwork today."

Rosemary's blue eyes widened. "W-Why?"

The raven haired captain just stared at her. "Cause Yeager's gonna have his trial today, and I need you to observe him, he might eat someone without knowing."

She blinked.

 _I'm gonna be watching Eren?_

"Well, what?"

His deep voice interrupted her thoughts and she grew flustered.

"A-Ah...sorry sir, o-of course I'll do it..," she stuttered.

"And fix your hair. You look goddamn messy." Levi scoffed. "Dismissed."

Rosemary nervously saluted her superior. "Y-Yes sir."

She walked outside, and began to think about her next duty.

 _Eren Yeager, the famous titan shifter? I can't imagine meeting him in person. It's just that, he's a titan, and I have to be honest...I'm a bit scared of him, but I'll try to watch him...just need to get over my shyness._

"Oh Rosemary~!"

A cheery voice came from the other side of the hallway and it belonged to a woman with messy hair tied into a ponytail and glasses.

"H-Hange!" Rosemary squeaked. "Please don't scare me like that."

She completely ignored it. "So, guess who I have to meet today at the Military Police?"

The short girl blinked. "It's Yeager, isn't it?"

Hange gasped. "Did you read my mind? You've read my mind!"

Even though she was gentle and shy, she can be annoyed. She sighed. "N-No...Levi told me to observe him for paperwork..."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Hange smirked at her.

"Y-Yes, and I need to start right now if I don't want to keep him waiting..." Rosemary said.

"YEEES! You and I, titan observers for LIFE!" Hange cheered, throwing her arm around her friend's neck.

Rosemary sighed as if it was the tenth time today. "Please don't squeeze me too hard," she pleaded.

The glasses woman looked at her and pinched her cheeks. " _Aw~ You look so adorable when you make that face,_ " Hange said.

"Whatever, can we please just go to the dungeons already? We can't stay here chatting forever," Rosemary said.

"That's the spirit!" Hange winked and grabbed her arm and started running. "OHOHO! I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET HIM!"

"Hange slow down- _woah!_ "

* * *

 _"Hey Eren! Try to catch me!" Saoirse yelled out._

 _"No fair! You've had a head start!" Eren cried out._

* * *

Saoirse's eyes blinked open at the dream. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"It was just a dream..."

She got up, got dressed and headed over for breakfast with Mikasa and Armin.

* * *

" _What?_ Eren's having a trial?" Saoirse asked.

"Yeah, apparently," Armin answered.

"A debate over Eren?" Mikasa asked as well. "What for?"

"I'm not really sure but..." he told them. He leaned closer to the girls. "It might be about what they're planning to do with him?"

"What are they planning?" Saoirse became more intense.

"And what does that mean?" Mikasa asked.

Armin had to give an answer that could answer both of their questions. He looked down. "It means...," he trailed off before he finished. " _They may not let him live._ "

Saoirse almost spit out her drink. She slammed her hands on the table. " _What?!"_ she shrieked. " _You can't be-They can't be serious, can they?!"_

"That's all I know Saoirse, please calm down...," Armin attempted to assure her.

Mikasa stood up abruptly. They both faced her and she had pure shock on her face. This was the worst news they could get of him.

"N-No..." Saoirse covered her mouth. Her worries were growing.

Suddenly, the door busted open and they saw three Military Police soldiers with guns.

"Cadet Saoirse Hillman, Cadet Mikasa Ackerman and Cadet Armin Arlert, hop to!" the soldier with a beard called out.

They all stood up.

"Sir.." Mikasa spat out.

"You're all ordered to attend and act as witnesses to today's deliberation!" the bearded soldier announced.

They all blinked.

"Let's get moving!" the soldier commanded and gestured for them to come with them. The three hesitantly followed, all worried about Eren. They have all been friends with him and they didn't expect for wether he should live or not. As they walked, they noticed Saoirse was silent. Both of them looked at her. She had a mix of worry and shock on her face, and she looked pale, as if she was gonna pass out.

Armin leaned towards Mikasa's ear. "I've never seen her worry like this," he said with a worried tone.

Mikasa nodded sadly. "She's been worried about Eren ever since- she may not return to her normal self if the trial follows the Military Police's case."

* * *

"I'm not so sure about this..." Rosemary said as she stayed close to her friend when they were walking down the halls of the dungeons. She has always been shy, even in meeting new people.

"Come on Rosemary! You have to get over your shyness!" Hange tried to motivate.

The girl looked away. "B-But it's always been a part of me..."

"That doesn't mean you'll never overcome it!" the glasses woman said and ruffled her friend's hair. "Like me, I overcame my hate for titans and replaced it with OBSSESION!"

Rosemary put her hands over Hange's mouth. "Be quiet! Someone might hear us!"

Hange chuckled. "They know we have the authority to watch Yeager," she giggled.

Rosemary sighed. Her friend never listens to her.

"But...I have a _good_ entrance for introducing ourselves to Yeager, hehehe..." Hange said, chuckling madly.

The young girl looked at her. "Wh-What are you planning on?"

The mad scientist looked at her with a crazed look.

"Oh dear..."

* * *

Eren has been in the dungeon for a while now, and he didn't know when he was gonna be released. For all he knows, being locked up in a dungeon had made his friends worry, including Saoirse.

In fact, he forgot all about her confession, thanks to the effects of his titan form. He's been thinking about what the others were doing while he was kept inside a cage like a bird with no wings. There was nothing he could do except stare at everything around whilst being watched by the guards.

"Excuse me, may I pee?" Eren asked.

"You already did," the guard said.

Plan number one failed.

"Then can I have some water?" he asked again.

"Hey."

He turned to the guard. "You're not getting a thing, get it?" he said harshly. "Damn _monster..._ "

 _Monster..._

Eren has always reminded himself he's not a monster, but people would just call him that without even thinking. Suddenly, he heard the door open. Footsteps approached the dungeon and sounded closer and closer until...

 _Bam!_

Hange threw her face at the bars, startling Eren. Rosemary walked beside her.

"Hange, you can't scare people like that, it's being rude and scary..." the girl said.

Eren faced her. Rosemary shook her hands. "Forgive Section Commander Hange...she's...she's really like that," she said shyly, smiling stupidly.

Hange completely ignored her and smiled. "So then you're Eren," she said. "Are you well? How are things? I'm really sorry you've been waiting too long, but here's your chance to finally get out!"

Eren's eyes blinked upon hearing it. He was finally gonna be released after being in captivity for almost a long time. He also sighed in relief.

"Please Hange, don't ask too many questions..." Rosemary said quietly.

The scientist released her face from the bars and put the girl in front of Eren.

"Forgive her, she's really modest," she said whilst smiling.

She shyly waved and Eren waved back.

Section commander Mike Zacharius walked beside them as well. Hange took out a key from her pocket.

"One thing; you'll have to put _these_ for me, okay?" she reached her hand into the bars and showed Eren handcuffs.

* * *

Once Eren was released, Mike, Hange and a few guards were escorting him to the trial at the same time Rosemary taking down notes whilst observing Eren. She had to look where she was going because since she was clumsy, she might trip over a rock, and that would be a good impression for making a friend.

"My name is Zoe Hange, I'm a Section Commander for Scouts," she introduced herself. "This is a fellow commander in the Scouts, Mike Zacharius."

The said Mike was sniffing Eren as if he was a dog, and the boy looked at him weirdly.

"Aw, haha, don't mind him, he makes a habit of giving new people a firm sniff," Hange told him.

Mike pulled away and continued walking with them, whilst smirking. Hange turned over to Rosemary, who was beside her so she could take a good look at Eren.

"And this one over here is Rosemary Halter," Hange said. "She's not a Section Commander, but she's a personal assistant of Captain Levi. She's very shy when meeting new people but she'll be more sociable when you get to know her."

Eren looked at her. "What is she doing?"

Rosemary tried ignoring him out of shyness and continued writing down the necessary observations.

 _Eren Yeager._

 _He's young, striving to know a lot about the Scouts. He's also very curious in knowing new things and he keeps an eye for anything._

"She's writing down what she observes about you, ordered by Levi," Hange said whilst smiling.

The tan-skinned boy continued to face in front of the hallway.

"By the way, more about Mike, he tends to laugh through his nose a bit," Hange continued on. "But I don't think he intends it to be derisive."

Eren was stunned by this habit of the Section Commander.

Rosemary looked up and started jotting down on what she observed.

 _He's staying obedient and calm for now. Surprisingly new to weird habits. He is showing to be respectful and brave enough to go to the trial._

 _"_ Quirks aside, he is a skilled Section Commander," Hange said and turned to Rosemary. "Rosemary may be timid and shy to you, but on battlefield, she has rather quick reaction and is very skilled in working with her squad, she even has the highest records of solo kills and team kills in her squad, can you believe it?"

Eren blinked. "Y-Yeah...," was all he could say.

As Hange finished talking, she noticed they reached the end of the hallway. She sighed. "Ah, poo!" she complained. "Sorry, I've just been excited about a small talk, now we're here."

Eren faced the door. This was it.

"Well, I'm sure it's fine, it's probably better if I _don't_ explain anyway." Hange said.

"Maybe you should...," Rosemary said.

The guards pushed Eren to the door and opened it. He turned to the three.

" _H-Hey! H-Hold on!_ " Eren cried out.

"It might seem callous but remember: We've _all_ put our faith in you, Eren. _Best of luck._ " Hange said firmly before closing the door.

" _W-Wait!_ " It was too late. He was already in the room.

Rosemary looked up to the section commanders. "Will he be okay in there?" she asked.

Hange turned to her. "He will be, if he's careful."

"Wh-What about my reports? How am I gonna submit these? It's all that I've written down...," Rosemary said, showing her friend the paper. "And I'm not one of the witnesses, so I'm not allowed."

"I'm sure Levi would understand. You may leave now." Hange said.

Rosemary began to walk away. "On second thought, he didn't say you couldn't come in, right?"

The girl turned back. "Yes?"

Mike nodded and Hange nodded as well. "So you may as well join us since you've accompanied us in escorting Eren," she said. "That way you'll have more observation reports and you can submit something today."

* * *

Eren found himself in a large room. A very large room. It took him a while to realize he's in a courtroom. Many soldiers of the legions were lined up on all sides, and the commanders and leaders were in the front. He also realized the witnesses of the retaking of Trost were there. It was also not only the soldiers, mostly civilians, including priests and merchants.

As he looked around, a guard poked him in the back with his gun.

"Alright, _move it!_ "

* * *

The guards chained Eren so he cannot move and continued to watch him, as part of their duty. He nervously looked around because this was the first time in his life he was put in a trial. They also put a pole around the chains to secure him. He turned to his left and his eyes widened. Saoirse, Mikasa and Armin were standing there, looking at their friend. He also noticed that Saoirse looked more worried than ever. He had remembered that she tends to worry about the people she cares about a lot.

The sound of a door closing echoed throughout the room, and the titan boy turned to the front. It was the commander of the Legions himself, Darius Zackly. He place his cloak, placed his papers and rolled up his sleeves. The trial has begun.

"All right, shall we begin?" the old man asked.

Eren remained silent.

Darius picked up his paper and read it while adjusting his glasses. "Your name is Eren Yeager, and there's a soldier you have sworn to give up your life on when you're called to, for the good of the people, is that correct?"

"Yes," Eren nervously answered.

"As a listed soldier in the time of war, the Military doctrine demands your trial will be held as a court martial," he said. "As commander of our own forces, this matter is left to my discretion."

He lowered the papers and looked at the teal eyed boy. "Thus _I_ will decide, wether you live, or you _die_."

Hearing the last word made Saoirse more worried. _Is she and her friends gonna see him again?_ Mikasa placed her hand on her friend's shoulder to assure her a bit.

"Any objections?" Darius asked.

Eren faced down. "No sir," he said.

"Your respect is appreciated," the leader said."Let us proceed."

Hange, Mike and Rosemary entered the courtroom from the balcony. The shy girl continued to take notes. Saoirse noticed her and looked at her.

"As expected, covering up your existence is proven quite fruitless, and unless we publicly disclose your existence one way or another, we risk the outbreak of widespread civilian rest, a choice must be made," he said. "And a regiment that takes custody of you will determine your faith. _The Military Police, or the Scout Regiment?_ "

Rosemary looked up from her papers and spotted her superior beside Erwin. Levi caught her glance, making the girl blush in embarrassment and burying herself in her papers.

"To begin, Military Police will present their case." Darius declared.

"Thank you, my name is Nile Dawk," the commander of the Military Police said. "I'm commander of the Military Police."

"Our recommendation, following a thorough examination of his physiology, subject Eren Yeager should be disposed of immediately."

This remark made Saoirse glare at him, but Armin and Mikasa grabbed her before anything could happen.

"We acknowledge Yeager's ability to play a part it turning back his titan incursion," Nile continued. "However, as has been stated, his near existence is creatinga swell of rebellious sentiment. For the greater good, after we have gathered all the information that we can from him, we see him as fallen warrior of humanity."

" _Unacceptable!_ " the person beside Nile shouted. It was a priest called Pastor Nick. "This venomous feed has to file the mighty wall-"

"Nick, remain calm, please," Darius assured.

He turned to the Scouts. "And now I like to hear the Scout Regiment repose their plan," he said.

"Yes sir," Erwin answered. "As the commander of the Survey Corps, I, Erwin Smith, propose the following."

"Let Eren join our rigs, reinstate him as a full member of the Scouts, and we will utilize his titan ability to retake Wall Maria," Erwin stated. "That is all."

This seemed to calm Saoirse a bit, but it caused a murmur among the people.

"Hm? Is that it?" Darius asked.

"Yes," Erwin answered. "With his assistance sir, I'm certain we can reclaim Wall Maria, there go I believe our top priority is perfectly clear."

"Quite bold," Darius stated. "Assuming you were given clearance, where do you plan to launch this operation from?"

He turned to Pixis. "Commander Pixis, the wall in Trost district has been completely sealed, is that correct?" he asked.

"Yes, I doubt it's gate will ever open again." he answered firmly.

"We'll depart from the Calaneth district from the east," Erwin stated his plan. "From there we'll make for Shinganshina, a new route can be established as long as we proceed-"

A merchant slammed his hand on the table. " _But that's ridiculous!_ Our time and money would be better up sealing all the gates, their parts of the wall will be the ones the Colossal Titan would be break, right? Let's reinforce the blasting and wash it in fair!"

"Shut your spine, you merchant dog! With a titan on our side, we can finally return to Wall Maria!" a merchant shouted.

"He can't afford anymore of your childish antics or your delusions of plan of yours!"

"Squealing louder won't help your case, pig," Levi spoke. Rosemary stared at him. "While we're bolstering our defenses, do you think the titans are going to stand idly by? And when you say we can't afford, do you think you speak for everyone than your fat merchant friends? Do you pigs even realize that most of our people are struggling, just to survive of what little land we have left?"

Even though what Levi is calling them is rude, Rosemary knew he has a point.

"I'm simply saying that sealing the gates is the only guarantee protection we've got!" the merchant said.

Pastor Nick slammed his hand in front of him. "Hold your tongue you violent heretic! _Are you really suggesting that we lonely humans should be leaving Wall Rose?! The wall is a miracle; it transcends humanity comprehension! Don't you understand!..._ "

Armin, Mikasa, Rico and Saoirse stared in disbelief. "It's that cult's fault...they're the ones who delayed the Garrison's returning to the walls," Armin said.

"Unbelievable," Saoirse mumbled.

"I agree," Mikasa nodded.

"That bastard shows a sick amount of support for the power they've got, I don't trust them at all," Rico said.

" _...such sacrilege!_ " Nick insulted the merchant.

" _Oh shut your trap!_ " the merchant shouted back.

" _How dare you..!_ " Darius called out.

Darius angrily slammed his hand repeatedly on the table to silence them. " _Order. I ask that you save your personal comments for a more appropriate venue,_ " he said. "Now then Mr. Yeager, I have a question for you: As a soldier, you made a solemn pledge to answer humanity's call. Can you still serve by controlling your ability?"

"Yes, I will sir!" Eren answered.

"Oh, is that so?" Darius said. "But this report from the Battle of Trost contradicts that statement. Just after transforming, seems you made an attempt to crush both Saoirse Hillman and Mikasa Ackerman."

Eren's eyes widened and he stared at the two girls. Saoirse and Mikasa gave Rico a dirty look since she was the one who wrote it. "Would you expect me to make a lie in the report? Glossing over that important factor could potentially spill disaster for us all."

"And who are these two girls, Mikasa Ackerman and Saoirse Hillman?" Darius asked.

"Us, that will be me and my friend here sir," Mikasa said.

"Alright then, is it true that Eren Yeager assaulted you two when he was in titan form?" he asked.

Mikasa and Saoirse faced him.

"Answer the premier, honestly." Rico said. "Eren's future depends on it."

"We're thinking, give us a damn minute!" Saoirse is under pressure right now, she's in a really bad mood. Rosemary shot her friend a worried look from the balcony. She didn't want her friend to blame herself if she gave the wrong answer wether he attacked her and Mikasa or not.

" _Yes, all of that's true._ " Mikasa answered. This caused a gasp in the crowd.

Saoirse turned pale and shot her friend a shocked look as if Mikasa told her they're not friends anymore. _"Mikasa! Why'd you say that?! That wasn't on purpose!_ " she whispered harshly.

"I knew it, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing!" the merchant said.

Eren had a look of pure fear. With that said, it's very possible he'll end up dying. Saoirse couldn't believe what her friend said, but in honesty, it was true, but not intended.

"However, he saved our lives, twice," Mikasa explained. "And in each circumstance he was using his titan ability. Shortly after Trost fell. We were nearly killed by a titan but then Eren came. He stepped in and protected me. Second; he transformed to shield Armin, Saoirse and me from cannon fire. We employ you to take these facts to consideration."

Saoirse smiled. But it didn't last long.

" _Objection!_ " Nile called out. The friends faced him.

"I have reason to believe that personal feelings play along part in their testimony," Nile said. "Let the record show that _only_ Mikasa Ackerman was orphaned at a young age, and was subsequently taken in by the Yeager Family. What's more, our internal investigation into this matter, led to a shocking discovery: _Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman, at the tender age of nine, dealt with three adult kidnappers by stabbing all of them to death._ Granted, this was done in self defense, all in one way, one cannot help that they question the violent nature of the act."

This caused the crowd to murmur. If Saoirse hadn't known back then, then she would have been ten times shocked as the crowd. She knew it was wrong to kill, but understood that it was in fact, self defense. They are her friends for a long time, so she perfectly understood and didn't take any objection to the matter.

"Knowing all of this, should we invest in him!" Nile said. "Money, manpower, perhaps the very faint of us all!"

The people continued murmuring loudly after knowing about this discovery.

"Maybe she's one!" the merchant pointed at her. Mikasa's eyes widened. She didn't expect to be accused of such things. "I bet she's not human either!"

"Yeah, you're right!" another one said. "Dissect her too just to be safe!"

" _Would you all cut it out?!_ " Saoirse's voice rang throughout the courtroom.

"Hey missy, you better not-" the merchant attempted to interrupt her.

"I don't give a damn if you tell me what to do, I say that you're all just scared because you've never seen a human with titan abilities before! Therefore, accusing him because of his abilities is exactly compared to judging different people! _Have you no shame?_ I was also shocked by their gruesome act as kids, but I've eventually come to understand! _In fact, you all don't understand at all! You're just pointing fingers just to keep yourselves safe, is that fair? No!_ _Accusation isn't gonna bring us anywhere!_ " Saoirse yelled loud enough for the courtroom to hear. She was so angered by the commotion, she can't hold it for longer.

This caused the courtroom to chatter amongst themselves. Rosemary was astounded by her friend's defense. In fact, she had a point.

" _Young lady, I believe you're just saying that just to defend your friend, which isn't really the case in a trial!_ " Nile yelled at. "And it isn't really making sense that you aren't disturbed by their despicable acts, _and you still defend them? This is a contradiction! A great amount of disrespect!_ "

The merchants also pointed at her. " _Maybe she's also one! She has to be! She must have inherited it right from her friend!_ "

Saoirse looked around nervously. It was getting worse. " _I'm not one! Neither is Mikasa!_ " she tried to defend herself.

" _I want to believe that's true!_ " another one said.

"Then let's dissect her too! They must be as dangerous as Yeager!" the merchants demanded.

" _Hey, hold on a second! Maybe I'm a monster you want to dead, but leave those two out of this!_ " Eren yelled. Mikasa and Saoirse watched as he defended them. " _They're both innocent!"_

 _"Like we trust you!_ " the merchant said.

" _It is TRUE!_ " Eren screamed.

"If she's one of you, you must be protecting her-" another merchant yelled.

" _STOP IT!_ " Eren shrieked, silencing the murmur. "You're wrong...about it all...but you're so intent on putting self-agendas...you're blind in what's in front of you...,"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Nile asked.

"What does it even matter? _What Saoirse said is true, you haven't seen a titan,_ " he said harshly. "So why you so afraid, _huh?"_

 _"There's no sense in having power if I'm gonna use it to fight!_ If you're too scared to fight for your lives, fine, but let _me_ do it! _You...you're all cowards!_ " Eren said.

" _What?!"_ Nile said in disbelief.

It was growing intense. " _Just SHUT UP! AND PUT ALL YOUR FAITH IN ME!_ " Eren screamed.

Then it became so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Nile stood there, completely dumbfounded. Not wanting to let what Eren said is true, he faced his comrade beside him, who had a gun.

" _Take him, dammit!_ " Nile ordered.

" _Yes sir!_ " the soldier said, aiming his rifle at him. Saoirse turned pale.

Suddenly, Levi kicked Eren in the face hard enough, his tooth spat out. Before he knew what's happening, Levi kicked him in the stomach, making Eren spit out blood. The corporal grabbed Eren's hair and proceeded to beat him up. Saoirse turned even more pale, covering her mouth in horror. Much to Mikasa's rage and her friend's horror, she attempted to leave her position and make Levi pay, but Armin held her back.

" _Mikasa wait!_ " Armin harshly whispered, knowing letting her do it would make the situation get uglier. He turned to Saoirse. " _Saoirse, help me!_ "

In fact, she didn't even listen or heard what he said. Seeing Eren getting beaten up because of her defense made her freeze in place, and she knew it was her fault. She couldn't do anything but stand there in horror, paler than ever, watching him getting violently kicked. Meanwhile, for Rosemary, she too, was pale, because she couldn't handle the fact that her superior was doing something extremely violent for her taste. She too, couldn't do anything but watch in silence and try to mask her shock with a straight face.

Levi's boot kicked Eren's face into the floor, and stopped for a moment. "You know personally, I think nothing instills discipline, like pain," Levi said. "You don't need a good talking to, but you're in need of boys to be taught a lesson. And _you_ happen to be in perfect kicking position."

He then proceeded to continue beating the boy up, with the soldiers watching with a straight face, but for Saoirse, for every kick, she would cringe. This was too much for her to take. She felt like she was gonna faint, while Armin had to hold Mikasa back.

Nile raised his hand to stop him. " _N-_ H-Hold on Levi," he said.

Levi let his boot off Eren's face. "What is it?" he asked, monotone.

" _It's dangerous,_ what if he gets angry?" Nile said. Eren looked at Levi angrily. "What if he turns into a titan?"

Levi looked at him and kicked him one last time. "Don't be silly," he bent down, grabbed Eren's hair and showed him to the soldiers. "After all, you guys just want dissect him, don't you?"

Nile and the rest of the soldiers stared in disbelief. Meanwhile, Saoirse's shock eventually subsided, but was replaced by anger and rage. She shot Levi a dirty look, as if he wasn't to be not doing anything while he was getting beat up and just watching it, she had to do payback, and she also wished that Armin didn't hold Mikasa back. In fact, he might have to hold two girls back.

Levi looked down at him. "During the time when he was transformed, they said that Yeager was to kill 20 titans before finally running out of strength," he stated. "As an enemy, his intelligence makes him more dangerous, but I can still take him down without a problem. How many of you can stay the same? Before you torment the beast, better think: Can you, actually, _kill him?"_

Erwin raised his hand. "Sir, I have a proposition," he said.

"Proceed," Darius said.

"There's still too much we don't know, and no doubt that his danger would ever be present," Erwin stated. "As such, I suggest this: Eren Yeager is placed under Captain Levi's supervision, and we conduct a recon mission outside of the walls."

"Yeager will join you in this incursion?" Darius asked.

"Yes sir," Erwin answered willingly. "And you can look upon the missions results yourself. And if he successfully controls his ability, Eren will approve of his value to mankind."

Darius faced him. "Eren Yeager will be closely supervised?" he questioned. "And if he should, lose control..."

"I can definitely kill him if he comes to that," Levi finished for him. He faced Darius. "The only downside is...there's absolutely no middleground."

He faced Eren's friends, in which all three shot a dirty look, before facing back at Darius.

Darius closed his eyes. "Then I have made my choice," he declared.

Saoirse felt like the weight has been lifted off her shoulders, because he said Eren would join the Scouts and not be killed, on the condition he should be watched, but still remained angry at Levi for kicking him.

* * *

The trial has ended, and the soldiers went back to their respective duties. For Armin and his friends, they had to go back to the Trainees HQ. Mikasa noticed Saoirse stop in her tracks.

"Are you coming?" she asked.

"Yeah, just give me a minute," the brunette said.

Mikasa nodded and she continued walking with Armin. With that, she eventually decided to walk around the Scouts HQ whilst digesting on the decision made by Darius.

 _I'm glad Eren lives and he goes to the Scouts, but now I need to worry about a new thing. I have to make sure to check if Eren's doing alright, but the problem is that I can't enter early, even if I'm the daughter of a Scout. I need to find another way to check on Eren so Armin and Mikasa don't have anything to worry about, including me, because if he does something wrong without even knowing of it, that'll be the end._

She walked around, admiring the environment of the Scouts HQ. Her father had previously said that he would bring her and her cousin here, before the fall of Wall Maria, but now it seemed her chance to look around the HQ to distract her from her worries.

 _This place is even more than I expected than I was a kid, it wouldn't hurt to look around, right?_

She saw several soldiers doing their duties and talking, and she was fascinated by the buildings. She had been wandering around for a while before realizing how long she took.

"I should get back to my friends," Saoirse mumbled to herself.

Before she turned around in a corner, she bumped into a warm body. The impact had caused her to fall on her butt and papers from the person she bumped into scatter all over. Saoirse knew she's in trouble.

" _I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to_ -" she apologized but stopped when she saw the familiar person on the ground, looking at her.

" _Rosemary?_ " she asked. "I'm really sorry, let me help you."

She picked up the rest of the papers.

"N-No, don't apologize, it's my fault anyways, I'm that clumsy," the girl said and picked up the rest of her papers.

Rosemary stood up when she got all the papers and she was about to go when she noticed Saoirse's down look.

"Hey, are you okay from the trial?" she asked. She had seen Saoirse's reaction to Eren getting beaten up.

Saoirse rubbed her arm. "Y-Yeah, I'm already fine, thanks," she wanted to forget that moment.

Rosemary frowned. "Don't lie to me, I know something's wrong, tell me," she pleaded.

The brunette sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm worried," she told her.

"About what?" Rosemary asked.

"Well, I'm glad he gets to live, but I'm also a bit worried about how he's gonna be in there," Saoirse said. "It's just that, I promised myself to stay loyal to the ones I care about and make sure they're safe, but I'm also scared that if Eren does one wrong move, he'll die."

Rosemary looked down also. "I understand, and I also know how important Eren is to you," she said.

"Really?" Saoirse asked.

The girl nodded. "That's what people do nowadays. They try so hard to look after their loved ones because they couldn't do it before. I've heard about your father's death, and I'm truly sorry about it. I understand your purpose. He was such a good man, looking out for everyone."

"Yeah, that's why I'm reliving my father's duty," Saoirse said. "To protect everyone I love."

Rosemary nodded. "You really showed it during the trial, when you defended Eren," she said. "That's how much he knows you care about people, including him."

"I think I shouldn't have done it, it's my fault for getting Eren hurt trying to defend Mikasa and I," the brunette doubted herself.

"Don't say that, I know you were trying to prove that you and your friends are innocent," Rosemary said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I know, but Eren could have transformed when he was getting beat up," Saoirse said.

"On the bright side, you showed that you never gave up on him, even as a titan, and that you are extremely loyal to everyone that you love, also humanity," the strawberry haired girl said.

Saoirse smiled at her. "Thanks Rosemary, but I just have one more problem," she said.

"I can help," Rosemary said.

The brunette sighed again. "I can't convince them to let me and my friends in the Scouts, so I can't know how Eren's doing," she said. "I just want to make sure he's doing okay."

Rosemary thought of an idea. She grabbed her friend's hand. "I think I have a good solution for this," she said. "I can watch Eren for you. If they said he's under Levi's supervision, then it means he's placed in his squad, and I'm part of it."

Saoirse's eyes lit up. "Good, good! We can send each other letters and you'll tell me how he is, and I can show it to my friends so all of us won't worry," she said. "Thank you Rosemary! I never imagined a friend to do this for me."

"It's my job to be altruistic and make sure people are happy," Rosemary said.

"But...you take care of him, okay?" Saoirse said.

"Don't worry, I _will._ " Rosemary said.

Saoirse hugged her short friend, and she hugged back too. The brunette instantly pulled away. "I have to go, I-I'll send you a letter later! See you, and thanks again!"

She waved back before she ran away. Rosemary smiled and waved back as well. She continued walking to Levi's office to submit her reports.

Saoirse's worries didn't have to bother her anymore, because she has a secret way of doing it.

 _Don't worry Eren, Rosemary will look after you for me. That's how much I love you._

* * *

 **My hands hurt right now from so much typing. I'm sorry if I haven't posted this early because I didn't expect going out with my family, and it's almost the end of sembreak. I started writing this the week before sembreak and I just only completed it today, I'm a bad writer! BTW, the next episode won't have Saoirse in it. Instead, the OC protagonist in the next one is gonna be Rosemary. You will all get to know more about this little butterfly in the next chapter. Now I better stop typing before my hands crack. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and AWinx out! OCs belong to me, episodes belong to Production I.G, but whole story belongs to Hajime Isayama! Toodles!**

 **BTW, I saw Doctor Strange. AMAZING!**


	15. Special Operations Squad

**I really don't know what to say I'll just get on with the story**

* * *

Rosemary repeatedly tapped her pen on the blank piece, with a completely blank mind. It's been weeks since Eren was placed in Squad Levi, and her duty now with the rest of the squad was to keep an eye on him, especially sending Saoirse some letters to tell how he is so that she wouldn't be so worried. She looked at the window. It was almost dark.

She looked at her bag on her bed. The Squad is going to the old Scouts HQ to monitor Eren tomorrow, and Rosemary had to write to Saoirse that she can't send letters because it's far away and she'll get in trouble if her superior found out. Frustrated and tired, she jotted everything down without even thinking.

After writing it, she approached the mail office and gave her letter for the mailman to deliver, and after, she just changed into her dress and went to sleep.

* * *

Next day came, and Rosemary woke up to birds chirping outside her window. She loved nature's calling. She brushed her hair and put on her uniform before heading to the post office again. As she was about to go outside, she heard three knocks on her door.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Mail man, Ms. Halter," the person outside the door told her.

She opened the door and saw him holding an envelope. She guessed it's for her.

"This is for you, from one of the trainees of the 104th Cadet Corps." he said.

"T-Thank you." Rosemary said sincerely before the mail man left and she closed the door. She leaned against the door and read what was written on the envelope.

 _To: Rosemary Halter_

 _From: Saoirse Hillman_

She opened it and saw not only one but _two_ papers. She grew peculiar. She opened the first one and read it.

 _Dear Rosemary,_

 _I read your letter about you and your squad going to the old HQ of the Scouts to monitor Eren, and I completely understand. To let Eren know my friends and I are doing fine, the second attachment is a letter to him. Please give it to Eren. It would assure him that we're doing okay. Good luck, and again, make sure he's okay. We'll be joining the Scouts soon, and hopefully we'll see each other again._

 _-Saoirse Hillman._

"Saoirse...," Rosemary mumbled.

* * *

Later, the squad entered through the Trost district to go to the Old Scout Regiment Headquarters. No one knew why it was abandoned, but the loigical explanation might be due to some territorial problems.

"An architectural marble, don't you agree?" Oluo Bozado, one of the squad members asked Eren upon the first sight.

"A proper royal residence, once upon a time, and more recently, our former headquarters," Oluo told him. "Fancy yes, but absurdly in practical when the Scouts went down to business, much _much_ too far removed from a river or wall."

Eren continued listening as his squad mate continued to tell him all about the squad. "This was the early days of us, you understand," he continued. "Absurd high. Now, this opulent bobble's little more than a hold cell, the place where we install our newest toy."

Eren looked around and saw Captain Levi glaring at him from behind. His eyes widened and turned back in front. Oluo led his horse closer to Eren to whisper something into his ear. Rosemary sighed.

"Do not be deceived, greenhorn," the man said.

Eren raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" he questioned.

"Don't be expecting the royal treatment, with your titan or human skills we don't imagine for a second we share the captain's ama-"

Suddenly his horse stepped on a rock, making Oluo slip and bite his tongue, with blood spilling out and yelping in pain.

"Oh dear." Rosemary mumbled.

* * *

"That's what you get for flapping your jowls on horseback," Petra told him, once they reached the castle.

"You should be really careful Oluo, if you care about yourself," Rosemary said, concerned.

Oluo wiped the blood with his handkerchief. "The rookie needs to know his place," he said. "First impressions are important."

"Well you certainly made am impression on him, no question there," Petra said.

Rosemary frowned. "Indeed so, our exchange was exactly as planned." Oluo mumbled.

The ginger haired woman stared at him. "What um- what happened to you? You never used to talk like this," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, it's really none of my business but if you're trying to act like the captain, it's kind of _embarrassing._ You and Levi couldn't be less alike if you were born separate species."

Oluo smirked and stared at her. "Heh, if you intend to helm me like a wife Petra dear, there's rather more of me you need to be acquainted with, laying claim to the privilege," he sheepishly said.

"Hmph, you wish," Petra mocked. "I'd tell you to bite your tongue but you've got that covered. Next time, I hope you bleed out."

Rosemary gave her a stern look. "I don't think that's a nice thing to say," she said calmly.

"Well nice or not, I''m just proving my certain point here," Petra shrugged.

"Heh, the girl's right. If you were as twice as nice as Rosemary, then you would care more about your comrades rather than having to wish for them to be injured," Oluo said, smirk widening. "But me thinks the ladies' got a test to munch."

Eren, who was adjusting the buckles on his horse, he stood up and stared at his new squad mates.

 _So here they are. The Scouts' Special Operations Squad. The Levi Squad._

Petra scowled at him. " _You disgusting swineherd!_ " she shrieked.

 _Petra Ral. 10 Titan kills accredited, 48 kill assists._

Rosemary's eyes widened. " _Hold on hold on,_ I know what Oluo said isn't that good, but a fight isn't necessary right now," she tried to calm her friend down with her hands gesturing her to stop.

 _Rosemary Halter. 12 kills, 50 kill assists._

 _Oluo Bozado. 39 kills, 9 assists. Elite as they come._

Eren stared at Eld and Gunther who were walking by.

 _Eld Jinn. 14 kills, 32 assists._

 _Gunther Schultz. 7 kills, 40 assists._

 _Everyone of these scouts was handpicked by Captain Levi for accomplishments in the field, to the end. They're my executioners, killing me if I lose it._

Eld and Gunther stepped in front of the castle, looking at the mess.

"Look at these weeds," Gunther pointed out. "This place has gone to hell."

"It's been abandoned for years, but the inside's in shambles," Eld explained.

The men heard footsteps approach them. "In which case, we have a problem, don't we?" a deep voice called to them.

They looked behind to see Captain Levi. "Best grab a broom and get to work."

* * *

Captain Levi may be a very skilled soldier, but there was one thing he couldn't stand a single bit: Dirt. He opened the windows to clear out some of the dust. The members were assigned to each area of the castle to clean so that it'll be good as new by the time noon strikes.

Each member wore handkerchiefs around their mouths so that they won't inhale the dust. Rosemary brushed the dust off the armors, shelves and other furniture, Petra swept the floor and Oluo cleaned the chandeliers. Eld and Gunther were hanging from outside the castle, cleaning the exterior wall.

"I haven't seen this much dust in my life," Rosemary spoke, voice muffled by the handkerchief. "This castle must be _really_ old."

Petra faced her friend. "You're right. They mentioned that no one came here for years, so it will take a lot of time to clean this all up," she said, sweeping the floor.

Sooner or later, they were done with the room and proceeded to the other room. The girls were walking down the hallway when Levi came out of the next room they were gonna clean. They saw Eren looking at the floor.

"Oh Eren, try not to look so discouraged," Petra assured, smiling.

"It simply takes time, so don't fret," Rosemary smiled also.

Eren faced the two girls.

"Sorry, I hope you don't mind us calling you Eren, we noticed the Captain doesn't, he pretty much sets the tone for the rest of us," Petra told him.

The strawberry haired girl nodded.

Eren stared at them. "Whatever. It's just that I, you know...did I look discourage or you two were just saying that?" he asked.

"Everyone reacts that way," Petra answered.

"Sometimes the people you meet aren't what you expect," Rosemary said.

"Up close in personal, Captain Levi doesn't seem like the hero he's strive up to be," Petra told him. "For one thing, he's a _lot_ shorter."

Rosemary nudged Petra. "What if he hears you?" she asked in a panic.

"Relax, he knows that," Petra giggled. "But also on the temper metal side too."

Rosemary's face began to sweat. "I just hope that he doesn't hear all of this...," she stuttered.

"Haha, you should also know that Rosemary worries a lot, and well, we know it when we see it on her face and hear it in her voice," Petra grinned, facing at her friend.

Rosemary sighed. "Also, Levi's not what you call social braces." Petra said.

"It's not that, I'm worked up by this seriousness," Eren said. "He's so dead earnest about following the hierarchy's rule."

"Let me guess, he thinks strength is living in your body, flattered by everyone else's," Petra guessed.

Eren shrugged. "Well, he didn't strike me with the time to take orders," he explained.

"Time wise, he would have lived up to your expectations," Petra said. "That's what I know, I don't have all the details."

"I think we shouldn't talk about his personal story...," Rosemary said.

Petra ignored her. "Story goes, that he was quite the road before joining the Scouts," she begin to tell. "A high roller on the capital black market. "

Eren's eyes widened. " _How the hell did he-_ I mean...," he stuttered.

"No clue, folks talk, but who really knows who brought him here, right?" Petra. "The most popular version involves Erwin. They say he dragged him into the Scouts, kicking and screaming!"

Eren stared at them. "The _commander?_ " he asked.

"But those are all the details I know, you should ask Rosemary," Petra said, smiling at her friend. "She's been through it all, and she's Captain Levi's assistant. She's your best source to tell the exact story. She's the closest to him out of all of us."

Rosemary furrowed her eyebrows. "Um...I don't think it's wise for Eren to know Levi's personal business...," she muttered.

"Come on, you worry too much," Petra giggled. "Oh, and Eren, you should also know that Rosemary's got a huge thing for him~"

Rosemary's face turned bright red and hit her friend on the shoulder. " _P-Petra!"_ she whispered harshly.

"Come on! There's nothing wrong with crushing on anyone, right?" Petra smiled. She then faced Eren, in which he too, smirked, all looking at a red faced Rosemary.

As if things didn't get more embarrassing, Levi poked his head into the room. "What's going on?" he asked.

Eren jumped. " _Sir!"_ he cried out, embarrassed.

Petra quickly got back to sweeping and started humming, while Rosemary went back to sweeping the walls, praying that Levi didn't hear them.

"Your cleaning is lamentable," he said harshly. "Back upstairs, _now._ "

* * *

It was almost sunset, and the castle was almost finished. Rosemary and Eren were assigned to clean the dining room, sweeping the floors, wall, tables and chairs. She was so busy cleaning, she almost forgot about the letter.

Eren wiped the sweat off his forehead and glanced at the short girl. "So, um...hope you don't mind if I ask but...how long were you in the Scouts?" he asked.

Rosemary glanced at him. "Um, about, eight years, I guess...," she told him.

"Then, how long was Captain Levi in the Scouts?" Eren asked.

"I really don't think it's my place to tell," she mumbled.

Eren blinked. "Okay, I understand." he said and went back to cleaning.

After a few more moments of cleaning, Eren looked at his friend again. "I was just wondering...you seem so shy around the Captain despite your crush on him but...if you're nice, why aren't you questioning his behavior?"

Rosemary stopped wiping and just stared at the wall.

"I'm sorry, probably shouldn't have asked," Eren apologized.

He was right. Rosemary was known to be very kind and warm hearted, yet she is in love with a polar opposite. It's not everyday that a shy, timid and gently lady would fall for a blunt, unapproachable and strict man. She questioned herself constantly, why the man she's in love with is different from other men. She sighed.

"I'm just used to it," Rosemary mumbled.

Eren nodded. "I see," he said. "How did you get to know him? As in, how were you two close? I'm sorry if I'm being too personal here."

The girl sighed. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell a little history," she said. "I was like you when I joined the Scouts. Scared, confused and wasn't used to their type of behavior because of the many casualties we get in every expedition. I eventually got used to it when time passed."

"Go ahead," Eren said.

"Well, when I met him, he thought I was "silly" and "too scared" to join because of my personality. I was a bit angry at him, but I try my best to mask it because of my shyness. I used to be really weak, which explains why I didn't have a lot of friends, except for Hange."

"Everyone criticised me, including Levi. But I really didn't want to let them hurt me for all I want, so I improved over the months, and I guess Levi was amazed yet he didn't show it, so he assigned me to be his assistant. But I really don't know why, and questioning him about it wouldn't be wise. I just know that even if he doesn't show it, he's a caring captain who loves his comrades and is looking out for us."

Rosemary covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry if I was rambling," she apologized.

"Come on, at least I know why you like him," he smiled.

Suddenly Rosemary talking to him reminded her of the letter she needed to give.

"And um, Eren, I need to give a letter to you," Rosemary said, reaching her pocket and pulling out a piece of paper.

Eren stared at it. "A letter? From who?" he asked.

"I met your friend Saoirse after the trial, and she was really worried about you, so she asked me to monitor you for her so that she won't have anything to worry," she told him.

Eren's eyes widened. " _Saoirse?_ " he asked, shocked.

He has been so focused on adjusting in the Scouts and controlling his ability, he forgot all about his friends, including Saoirse. Now that he remembered, he's starting to worry, _how is she, Mikasa and Armin doing?_

"Your friend...she..she's looking out for you," Rosemary said. "You should read it."

She gave the paper to Eren and he opened it. As soon as he did, he read it.

 _Dear Eren,_

 _How are you? Mikasa, Armin and I wrote this to know how you are doing. We've been worried since you joined, and we're hoping you wouldn't do anything to get you in trouble. We're your friends, and this letter shows how much we care about you. Rosemary's doing a good job monitoring you for us so far. We'll be joining the Scouts soon, and we'll see you again._

 _-Saoirse, Mikasa and Armin._

Eren stared at the letter. He has forgotten about them, but they never forgot about him. He also started to wonder if he was a true friend.

Rosemary stared at him. "That's why I need to tell you this," she said, looking serious. "You have to follow our orders and you must do what you are asked to, because if something goes wrong and you end up getting killed, your friends won't forgive themselves. I don't want your friends to worry, and you don't want them to be worried too, don't you?"

Eren nodded. "Okay, I'll try my best to follow."

Suddenly, the door opened and they saw Levi, glaring at them from afar.

"I told you two to get back to work," he said harshly.

Rosemary and Eren went back to their places and started cleaning again.

* * *

After hours of cleaning and cleaning as if it would have been endless, they finally finished tidying up the castle (courtesy of the captain). Afterwards, the members of the squad decided to take a break and enter their rooms to relax their joints from cleaning. As for Rosemary, she hasn't forgotten to submit paperwork.

She has done so many paperwork over the years, she started to wonder if she should consider this as a hobby or just a job. But most importantly, it was for her captain, so she didn't want to goof off on the paper. She was very careful in writing so.

The girl broke into a nervous wreck when she approached Captain Levi's room. Despite being okay around him, her usual shyness got the best of her at times. She would turn red, sweat or even shake to the point it would seem like she would pass out.

She shook her head, took a deep breath and just knocked on the door.

"Name." a monotone voice came from inside the room.

The young woman gulped. "I-It's Rosemary, sir...," she stuttered. "P-Paperwork...submitting papers-I-I mean!"

She wanted to kick herself for being embarrassing in front of him, and the least bit is that he didn't see it.

"Just get in," his deep voice commanded.

Rosemary slowly opened the door and poked her head to see Levi sitting on his bed, staring at her with his usual look.

"I told you to get in, not poke your head in," Even if Levi was really close to his assistant, he still gave her the same treatment he gave everyone else.

Rosemary's face started to flush terribly. She had just entered and now she's already in a nervous wreck. "S-Sorry sir!" she awkwardly said, wanting to kick herself twice.

She entered the room and tried to act natural with all her might, desperate not to be shy and introverted, even if the corporal knew about it.

"H-Here are the papers sir," she spoke normally.

She held out the papers. Levi looked at it and when he grabbed the papers, his fingers slightly touched Rosemary's, which triggered the girl's heart to beat so fast, it could have exploded out of her body. It took a lot of effort for her to not freak out so easily.

 _Don't be stupid Rosemary!_ she thought. _He's a corporal and you're just an ordinary soldier who happens to be his assistant! Just don't freak!_

Levi continued to eye her. "You're awfully messy," he just said. "Lamentable, really. Clean yourself up before the meeting."

"Y-Yes sir," she said quietly.

The corporal read the papers. "Not all details have to be written, learn to summarize next time," he criticized. "And I told you to write 'Levi", not 'corporal'."

The situation was getting more and more embarrassing.

Apparently, the corporal insisted that she'd call him by his name, because they were really good friends, more like mentor and student.

"S-Sorry sir," she said, a little louder.

After a few more moments, he stood up and placed the papers on the desk, and walked over to his assistant. Rosemary had to take a lot of effort to not panic when he was a few inches away from her.

Levi scoffed, and he reached out his hand for her hair. He straightened it, and Rosemary was trying not to scream.

"Remember to fix that messy hair of yours later, you'll embarrass yourself." he said.

Rosemary nodded. "I-I got it sir." she nervously saluted and began to walk outside.

"Don't get too close to Yeager," Levi suddenly said.

Rosemary's hand was on the doorknob when she heard him and looked at him with a peculiar look.

"Don't worry Levi, h-he's just a friend," she assured him.

Levi just bit his lip. "He might go rampage on you without knowing, and remember we're here to watch him, just be careful." he said.

Rosemary blinked.

 _It's strange but...Levi's never warned people of safety before. Why me?_

"We'll be having a meeting in ten minutes, don't be late." Levi finished.

"Y-Yes sir." the strawberry haired woman said, and she left the room, completely wrecked and flushed.

 _I don't know if I should think about it...but Levi keeps growing more and more close with me everyday. That isn't his usual type. Maybe because he just sees me as a really close friend? It's also not his place to fall in love with someone because of what's happening right now. There's no way he'll like me, I'm too shy and introverted for him. Real brave women would be worthy, like Petra. Oh God, what if he likes her? Not that I'm jealous, but God knows I've been in love with this man for eight consecutive years, and yet he ceases to know. I should probably stop thinking too much about my superior and just relax and focus on our primary objective, especially mine._

She felt a little guilty for acting awkward in front of her superior, but that's because that's how she truly is. Hell, he even noticed her kindness and generosity and she started to wonder if her kindness was of interest for Levi. With all the chaos happening right now, she has an awful lot to worry about her love life, she even forgot about what would happen to her and him when this is all over.

* * *

Soon, the meeting began and the members of the squad gathered around the dining room, which was filled with many tables, and it was already nighttime. They also had tea while discussing the matters necessary.

"It's safe to assume our standing orders will stretch into next week, word to the great vibe is that we're gearing up a big mission a month from now," Eld started. "When a bunch of soldiers are slated to be our main back-up."

"That can't be right, why do something like that?" Gunther asked. "The cadets have been through enough with the last titan attack, why subject them to that kind of danger again?"

Oluo sipped his tea. "You''l have to wonder how many of this nibble drop runs pay themselves," he said.

Petra turned to him. "Surely this can't be the case," she said.

Rosemary looked at all of her friends. "But then again, if it was the case, then the rookies have an awful lot to worry about," she told them.

"Hell, the girl's got a point," Oluo smirked.

"Mission planning isn't my responsibility," Levi spoke up. "But, it is Erwin's. And you can bet the man's obsessed over every angle."

Eld placed his hands together and rested his chin on them. "That's a truth. Especially given how unique the situation is. Consider how many people died on the path to take back Wall Maria, the outcome's a form no one's expected, one we're not entirely sure, how to deal with." he said, looking at Eren.

Eren widened his eyes. The whole squad stared at him. He looked at them, and back down.

"Most of us still find it hard to believe," Eld said. "So how does it work? This whole changing into a titan trick, really."

"Wish I could tell you, but the fact is my memory's not clear. Guess it's like being in a trance," Eren told them. "I _do_ know the trigger to do is hurting myself in some way, like biting my hand." he raised his hand.

As he said it, his mind clicked. If he knew about the trigger, then how was it possible he only knew that but nothing else? This was very confusing to be wrapped around.

Levi stared at the boy. "You're not going to get anything out of them, apart from what the scribblers have laid out on the reports," he said, picking up his cup in a very different and weird manner. "Hm, not that you know _who_ would have a go at it."

He sipped. "You'll be lucky to come out of it alive if that one lays into you," he said. "Course it's only a matter of time."

Eren looked at him. "Wh-Who are you talking about?" he asked, curious.

Just then, a loud banging echoed the room, making the members jump.

" _YEOW!_ " a familiar voice yelled. Petra got from her seat and opened the door to reveal Hange.

"Hange, it's just you, thank goodness," Rosemary sighed with relief. She had been scared for a moment that it would have been a ghost of the old castle, the fact that the horrific is one of her weaknesses.

"I'm so sorry," Hange apologized and greeted the members. "Good evening team Levi! How is castle light treating everyone?"

Levi looked unamused. "You're too early." he mumbled, and sipped from his cup.

"Am I? Suppose I couldn't help myself!" Hange said, walking over to Eren.

"Section Commander Hange?" he asked.

"Hello, Eren," the scientist greeted.

The boy looked at her. "In the event you haven't pieced it together yet, it's my job as the superior head to watch over the Scouts' Regiment's research efforts," the woman told him. "Essentially about our captured titan specimen. I _very much_ like your help."

"M-My help? In what way?" Eren asked. "Like what will I have to do?"

" _Join me of course!_ " Hange said excitedly, sounding like a very mad scientist. " _Our request of scientific discovery!"_

"Hange, if you keep acting like that, you're gonna scare him away," Rosemary said.

The scientist faced her as if she was a strange specie Hange was trying to study. "Aw come on now! For you, where's the fun in science?" she teased.

Eren moved away from her. "Well uh-I'm happy to help, but I'm afraid it's not up to me," he explained. "I'm under close restriction of the higher ups, you see."

With this, Hange turned to Levi. "Levi, what's on the dock for him tomorrow?" she asked.

The other members looked annoyed, especially Levi. "Clearing out all the weeds?" the corporal answered, voice monotone.

"Excellent then! It's settled!" she happily said, grabbed Eren's hand and stared at him with the craziest smile. "Young man, tomorrow will be _grand!_ "

Oluo leaned over to Rosemary, who knew she was Hange's best friend. "Do you have a cure to recover from this irritation we call _crazy?_ " he whispered,

Rosemary shot him a dirty look. "That's a _really_ rude thing to say," she said. Even if she was annoyed by Hange's obssesion over science, she would never have the guts to insult her because she's her friend.

"O..kay," Eren mumbled, hesitant. "But uh-just so I'm clear, what exactly we'll be doing?"

Hange smiled more than ever and let out a yes "mhm". Eren became more creeped out from the looks he's giving her. "Um-Are you-running experiments or something?"

The conversation was growing awkward and irritating. Oluo shot Hange an irritated look. " _Idiot, shut up.._ " he harshly mumbled under his breath.

Rosemary heard it and kicked Oluo in the shin, in which it took a lot of effort for him not to scream or cry. Even if she was shy, timid and innocent, she would have an aggressive side to herself, in which would be scary at times, which explained why no soldier had angered her yet. Rosemary was in fact, very loyal to her annoying friend Hange.

"Ah...I knew it..." she became more and more excited. "You possess a singularly curious mind, don't _you?_ "

Having enough irritation, Levi stood up and left the room. The other members begin to follow, and Eren watched as he was left alone with the crazy scientist. Rosemary was the last to stand, and Hange grabbed her arm before she could leave.

" _That hurt!_ " she cried when her friend squeezed her arm too tight.

Hange raised an eyebrow. "I seem to recall that you said you would help me with my experiments, don't cha?" she said.

"But you already have an assistant," Rosemary said, gesturing at Eren.

"But I didn't say anything about you being free, right?" Hange flashed a hideous smile. "And also: Have you forgotten the promise you made?"

The young girl sighed. She had completely forgotten about promising to help Hange with the captured titans.

* * *

 _"Rosemary~~!_ "

 _The young woman sighed as she realized that the cheery voice belong to her obnoxious friend Hange. She was supposed to be relaxing in the dining hall, reading a book out of boredom. She knew she should have stayed in her bedroom. But she quickly shook off these negative remarks and looked at her friend with a bright smile._

 _"Hello Hange, can I help you with anything?" she asked._

 _The woman had a crazed look on her face, and she looked like a titan's face right now. Rosemary eyed her friend._

 _"Um, hello? Are you okay?" Rosemary asked._

 _Hange snapped out of it._

 _"Oh! I just came in here to ask a favor since you're my friend," she said._

 _Rosemary nodded. "Go on, I'll do anything." she smiled._

 _Hange squealed like a toddler and hugged Rosemary tightly. "Aw! You really are a good friend, Rosemary!" she said. "You deserve so much better!"_

 _"U-Uh, you're squeezing me too tight-oof!" the short statured girl said, trying to push Hange off._

 _The scientist realized that she was hugging her friend too tight. "Oops! Sorry!" she sheepishly said and took herself off her friend. "Alright, I'll tell you what I need help with."_

 _"I'm all ears," Rosemary said._

 _Hange took a deep breath before blurting it out. "Do you mind...if you would help me with my titans Sonny and Bean?" she asked. "I would very much appreciate it!"_

 _Suddenly Rosemary's mind went blank. She'd do any favor, but this one seemed an exception since part of her was scared of the titans. She shot Hange a look as if she transformed into a bear._

 _"W-What?! No way!" the girl cried out._

 _"Oh come on! You'd said you would help me, right?!" Hange pleaded._

 _"Well...I didn't expect this to be your favor," Rosemary said, crossing her arms._

 _"Come on, pleease!" the scientist pleaded._

 _The woman gave Rosemary a puppy look, but she didn't fall for it. "But Hange-they're dangerous! I might get eaten during the experiment!" she said. "And besides, I have duties to fulfill for my squad, and I really can't."_

 _"But come on! Who's gonna calm down my two babies when they go on a rampage?!" Hange said._

 _"That's your job Hange," Rosemary said._

 _The scientist suddenly stopped rambling and a smirk formed on her face, making Rosemary confused. "Well then, if you don't want to help, I guess I didn't have to resort to this..." she said crazily._

 _The strawberry haired woman raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "R-Resort to what?" she asked nervously, fearing the worst. She knew it's another one of Hange's blackmailing methods to force her on what the scientist wants to do._

 _The brunette giggled when she pulled out a crumbled piece of paper out of her pocket, which was neatly written._

 _"Wh-What is that?" Rosemary asked, familiar with the paper, though unclear what it was._

 _"Take a look, my dear Rosie!" Hange chirped._

 _The girl took a closer look and upon inspection, she gasped and turned bright red._

 _"T-That's my rejected love letter to Levi! What are you doing with that?!" she shrieked, pointing at her friend, who was laughing so hard._

 _"You didn't think I didn't see you stuffing it underneath your bed, did you?" Hange was laughing manically, she had trouble forming her words. "In case you reject, I might have to force you into doing so!"_

 _"You can't just force people into doing stuff!" Rosemary cried out._

 _Hange was crying. "Even if you're hard to convince, you're really easy to manipulate!" she teased._

 _Rosemary attempted to grab the paper, but Hange raised it up in the air, causing her friend to fall, but quickly regained balance._

 _"Give it back to me Hange!" she pleaded, attempting to grab from behind, but Hange swiped it away._

 _"Not until you give in my favor first~" she teased again._

 _Rosemary was fuming right now. Not just from anger, but from embarrassment also."I told you! It's not wise to force people into doing what you want!" she tried to grab the paper again, but failed._

 _"But I really need you!" Hange said, and smirked widely. "It would be more embarrassing if Levi were to see this...right?"_

 _This made Rosemary's face completely beet red and she gave up. "Okay! Okay! If that would save me from embarrassment and there's no other choice, I'll help you," she said in defeat._

 _Hange shot her fist in the air in excitement. "YES!" she shouted._

 _But she stopped when Rosemary shot a dirty look and pointed at her. "But only because you forced me to," she said harshly._

 _"Alright alright, I promise that I won't do anything to force you to join again, I swear!" Hange smiled, crossing her fingers at the back. It was lucky that Rosemary didn't notice and smiled at her friend._

* * *

Rosemary sat down on the otherside of the table and Hange sat on the other side as well, both facing Eren. "Well, my compulsive friend, if you insist, why not lay it all on a table?" Hange asked. "I intend to get better acquaintance with the titans we locked upon Trost."

The strawberry haired girl yawned. _This is going to be a long night._

"As a scientist, naturally I started with the standard kinds of tests we do on all such captures," Hange began to tell her story.

* * *

 _The scientist happily walked in front of her two captured titans, Sonny and Bean. Their necks were tied with ropes so that they wouldn't escape. The two of them looked so hungry, they wanted to break free from their hostage. Rosemary, Hange's assistant Moblit and other soldiers nervously watched._

 _"Hello, beautiful," Hange greeted one of the titans, which had blue eyes and blonde hair. It began moving it's head, tempted to eat her._

 ** _First was an attempt on communication._**

 _Hange took a step closer. "How are you feeling? Do you have a name?" she began to ask. "Are you in pain?"_

 _Moblit raised up his arm. "Section Commander, you're too close!" he warned._

 _Soon, Hange approached the second titan with brown hair, who was laid on the floor. "Hi there," the scientist greeted. She then bent down. "Lovely weather, don't you think? Are you hungry?"_

 _The titan suddenly raised it's mouth, attempting to bite her, but luckily Hange stepped away, making everyone scream in fright._

 _"Hange be careful!" Rosemary warned, sweating._

 _"Woah! That was close!" Hange said._

 _"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Moblit told her._

 ** _Sadly my findings were consistent with all other past attempts. No communication with them seemed possible._**

 _The titan chomped, making Hange jump in fright._

* * *

 _ **That said, my time spent in sentiment proximity to the titans indeed had me coped, with the day to day tasks.**_

 _Hange walked back and forth in front of the two titans, with her eyes closed. "Once upon a time, many centuries ago now, there lived a vicious tribe of cannibals," she told the creatures. "You may think I'm speaking of your kind, but in fact, these cannibals were human. They would munch on travelers near their cave, their ruthless power did not discriminate the merchants, high or low. Valuables were taken, flesh fed to the pawns." she suddenly stopped._

 _Two men were watching with annoyed looks on their faces._

 _"We gotta go through this again? Our naming scheme is so weird," one soldier told his friend._

 _"Yeah, what did she end up going with last time?" he asked._

 _"It was Chikatilo and Albert," he answered._

 _Rosemary sighed. "In the end, this cannibals subsisted on human meat for 25 years, give or take," Hange continued. "Historians suspect they killed somewhere around 500 people during that time. That's probably more victims than the two of you have gorged on, combined."_

 _The scientist then smirked. "To their credit though, they perfected the art of preparing flesh," she told them. "Steaks cut from behind quarter meat, leg meat diced and added to stew, belly fat ground into patties and fries, sausages made from blood clots and intestinal linen."_

 _Rosemary frowned in disgust and looked at Hange with wide eyes. Aside from cutting titans, she couldn't hear something horrific like that. "Hange...that's so scary and gory..."_

 _Hange leaned in closer to the titans. "In fact, one might even suggest they furthered the culinary arts," she pointed at them next. "In that respect they're just extinct from you."_

 _Many soldiers were growing sick and vomiting due to the horrific and disgusting story Hange told. Rosemary sighed again, as if for the five-hundredth time. "Alas, this tribe of boar and dicing cannibals were caught and executed by the providence of single mistake," Hange continued on and on. "In that respect, you're similar. You both underestimate your resourcefulness and round up captured victims of your appetite."_

 _She began to walk to the both of them again. "In honor of the cannibal tribes' leader, I'm gonna name you beauties accordingly."_

 _She pointed at the blonde haired titan. "You'll be Sawney," and pointed at the brown haired one. "You are Beane."_

 _"No need to fret though, I'm not gonna publicly disembowel you or burn you at the stake."_

 _She put her hand on Sawney's. "Pleasure to meet you Sawney," she greeted with pleasure. She then placed her hand on Beane's. "Likewise, Beane."_

 _She then stood up. "Let's reach up, huh?" she asked._

 ** _That's how I came to name the seven-meter titan Beane, and his grinning four-meter companion, Sawney._**

* * *

 _The soldiers then covered the titans in large cloth._

 ** _The next step involved sincere deprivation, denying them sunlight. Observing as we do, titans are less active in nocturnal hours, we conclude from this experiment that the sun is likely a key source of energy for them. Nether the less, I discovered a profound difference between the two._**

 _"Hange, are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Rosemary asked, slightly concerned. "I think I have to come with you in case they'll bite you..."_

 _The brunette ruffled her friend's head. "Nah, you worry too much Rosemary, my babies won't bite me because I'm their mother, I'll be fine." she assured._

 _Rosemary shrugged. "Fine, but please be careful." she told._

 _Hange then slowly and quietly walked inside the tent of Sawney. She raised her lamp to get a better view and lightning._

 _"Hmm, well done Sawney," she told him. "See you in the morning, sweet dreams, you lug."_

 ** _Collected from previous data, Sawney grew notably sluggish only after an hour of lack of sun._**

 _Next, she entered Beane's tent and sat herself to watch him._

 _"My, my, someone's certainly tired, huh? You're gonna wear me out," she said. "Oh well, this wouldn't be my first all nighter here in the name of science."_

 ** _Beane, however, still beamed three hours in._**

* * *

"A staggering vibe, believe me," Hange continued telling her experimental story to Eren and meanwhile, Rosemary, who was growing tired by the minute, yet for some reason she was able to stay awake. "They don't require food or water to survive. They possess vocal organs but absolutely have no need to breathe. The only thing their bodies metabolise energy is sunlight. Every titan may have a different threshold for sunlight withdraw, so I have to be careful."

Rosemary yawned again. "Mostly when Sawney and Beane go on a rampage, Hange just calls me to try to calm them down, and I don't even know how it works," she told him.

The scientist nodded. "Don't want them dying on me, you know," she said, then looked at Eren. "Several have passed on in captivity, owing to my ignorance, sad to say."

She looked away again. "Two in particular were decapitated after we accidentally struck the soft spot," she said sadly.

Eren looked at her with wide eyes. "Poor devils, Chikatilo and Albert their names were, such adorable ear to ear smiles, what I did to them was terrible," Hange sadly told. "It haunts me."

Rosemary's eyes furrowed in worry, also remembering that she was there when it happened.

"I mustn't let that happen again, I couldn't bear it." she said it with sorrow.

"Yeah, no, sure." Eren said, looking at her.

After a brief moment of silence, Hange then raised her head and snapped, as if she was suddenly filled with adrenaline. " _Carry it on! Physical contact with them was the next obvious step and I simply had to know wether or not they experience pain!"_

Rosemary slightly stood up and raised her hand. " _H-Hange calm down!_ " she tried to assure.

* * *

 _Hange was screaming in agony as she stabbed the titan's eye, at the same time feeling guilty._

 _Her assistant Moblit then attempted to approach her. "Woah, it isn't necessary for you to scream Section-"_

 _Hange then turned to him furiously. "I can't do this without screaming, damn you!" she shrieked. "Look at him! He's in absolute agony! My poor babies!"_

 _Rosemary raised her hand. "H-Hange please stay calm!" she tried to calm her friend down, but of course it didn't work._

 _Hange then lunged at the titan with her stick. "I'm so sorry!" she yelled, before stabbing it as the soldiers, Molbit and Rosemary watched in complete agony._

* * *

Eren was shocked by this story, his eyes widened, and he started to feel sorry for Hange.

"It was the only way to know if they had any weaknesses, apart from their names, you see," she said, still bitter about that event. "I hated myself for it."

"Hange, it's not your fault. It was for the sake of the experiment and maybe humanity, you mustn't blame yourself, please," Rosemary attempted to assure again.

* * *

 _Hange stabbed Sawney's chest with her long stick and as usual, blood came out and the skin started to evaporate. Rosemary watched nervously, afraid of the titans eating her friend._

 _"Sawney? Sweet pea? I say you have obscure strength at heart," she said. "Doesn't that hurt, dear? Don't you feel that?"_

 ** _Sawney was more, shall we say, introverted than his counterpart. If he felt pain, he was unwilling to show it._**

 _The titan began to move, sparking Hange, knowing that he has responded. "Go on, talk to me!" she was growing excited._

 _Instead, the titan raised it's mouth and attempted to chop Hange's head off, but luckily missing by a few inches, and she backed away, making everyone scream in fright._

 _"HANGE!" Rosemary screamed in panic._

 _"For the love of God, stand clear!" Moblit scolded his section commander._

 _Hange then started to laugh insanely. "You almost got me that time, didn't you?!"_

 _Her assistant then glared at her. "You want your HEAD chomped off?!" he yelled._

* * *

"Sawney's range of expression was somewhat, limited I think, the only things he knows to do is lunge and bite." Hange reported.

"Commander, all due respect," Eren suddenly interrupted. The scientist and Rosemary faced him. "But how can you be so...light-hearted about them? You talk like they're badly behaved pets. It's just...they're the single greatest threat mankind has ever faced. They've nearly driven us to extinction. You and Rosemary are Scouts, you both know that. You've seen them in action countless times."

The strawberry haired girl nodded. "Contrary to that, we also fear and hate the titans for nearly destroying humanity," she said. "But sooner or later, you'll get used to it because nowadays, it's happening all around. As for me, albeit my bravery, they're still scary to encounter."

Hange faced away. "True," she told him. "In fact, more than my fair share of friends have died in the jaws of the titans in front of me. When I first became a Scout, I fought them out of pure, wide hatred. But one day, I came to a realisation."

"I kicked a severed head of a three-meter titan out of spite," she told them. "It weighed next to nothing. Might as well be a feather."

She then faced Eren. "In the realm of improbability, that fact would seem to rank fairly high. Their utter strength argues against it."

"And such was the case with every titan. Contrary to the appearance of density and great mass, the severed limbs were light as tree bark." she said.

"I've been given to understand, that when you transform, your titan body materializes, as if out of thin air," she told Eren. "It's so bizarre, in fact, the only thing I want to describe is to saviour their appearance in tends of sharp contrasts to their true substance."

Hange then poured tea on three cups, and handed a cup to Eren, while she handed one cup to Rosemary and one cup for herself.

"We've been fumbling around in the dark, our prime offensive tactic based on contempt and fear," she said. "We need a fresh strategy one guided by knowledge, a whole new way of looking at the enemy. Of course it could be a waste of time. Still though, _nothing_ ventured _nothing gained._ "

Eren's mind then began to wonder as he sipped his cup. Of course, joining the Scouts was dangerous, and he noticed that Scouts like Rosemary and Hange seemed to be different than what he expected. Suddenly, it hit him. It could make sense if they were striving to change their game, and it could be the appeal of the Scouts all along.

"Commander Hange!" he called out to her.

She looked at him. "If you don't mind, I think I should hear about this experiments in greater detail," he requested.

Hange then looked at him as if he bought her new jewellery. "What? _Really?_ " she asked, surprised to hear it.

Rosemary looked at him in awe. "Yes, I wanna know everything. If I'm going to help you tomorrow, I'll need it."

Hange nodded. "Ah, good point," she said with approval. "Well, I might have lost over one or two important details," she said. "Right, full disclosure then! We may be here a while."

The strawberry haired girl nodded. "It's very nice of you to help us out with the information given." she nicely said.

Eren nodded in reply. "Good."

Hange then turned to Rosemary. "Oh, and Rosemary, you don't have to hear all this, you can sleep right now if you want, this is going to be a _long_ night." she told her.

The young woman nodded again and yawned.

"I ought to start with our first captured titan, that was the birth of my first hypothesis, you see...," and she continued to tell everything to Eren throughout the night while Rosemary dozed off.

* * *

By the time Hange finished, it was already morning. Rosemary was quietly sleeping, her head rested on her arms.

"...carried to it's natural conclusion though, the experiment yielded nothing a positive value," she finally finished. "But listen to me rambling on, I'm sure you summarised all these from your training. They did cover these stuff, right?"

"Yes...they did...every last bit..." Eren groggily answered. Due to staying up late, eye-bags appeared beneath his eyes.

"Great! We can use that as a jumping off point for my own theories. Let us review, shall we?" Hange asked.

"Huh? Well I..." he was so tired from staying up late, he barely listened.

"Consider how the titans-"

They were interrupted when Hange's assistant Moblit barged inside the room, and it was loud enough to wake Rosemary up, and also make her stumble and fall on her back due to the sudden loud noise. They could tell it was urgent.

" _Section Commander Hange come quickly!_ " Moblit urgently cried. The scientist, Eren and Rosemary looked at him.

"The test subjects... _they're dead! Both of them killed!_ "

Hange's eyes widened and then stood up. They quickly rode their horses to the area where she kept them.

* * *

" _NOOOO!_ " Hange screamed as she saw her beloved titans' body. They were already reduced to skeletons, and their skin was evaporating. " _SAWNEY! BEANE!"_

 _"How could this have happened?! SOMEONE TELL ME THIS ISN'T REAL!"_ the scientist put her hands on her head and knelt down, crying insanely at her beloved experiments, ruined. Rosemary placed her hands on Hange's shoulders for comfort.

"They were such valuable specimens," Gunther told his friend Eld. "Is this a soldier's work?"

"Yeah. But they don't know the soldier was responsible yet. They were killed just before dawn apparently, by the time the guards got here, the bastard cleared on ODM gear." Eld reported.

"Whoever it was must have a look out to be warned by the guards." Gunther said.

" _SAWNEY!_ " Hange screamed as tears fell down her face rapidly, while Rosemary was trying to calm her down.

"Oh boy, someone's gonna start raving mad, haven't they?" Oluo said, whilst smirking. Petra groaned in disgust and nudged Oluo hard.

Eren and Levi watched as Hange was breaking down. "How did this...how did this happen?" Eren asked.

Levi turned to him. "Let it go," he said sternly. "This is a matter for the Military Police."

The corporal then walked away. "Y-Yes sir." Eren answered.

Erwin suddenly approached him and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "What is it you think you see?" he asked. Confused, the teal-eyed boy turned his head to face the commander.

"Who do you think the _real_ enemy is here?" he asked.

Eren didn't reply, still confused. After a brief moment of silence, the commander closed his eyes. "Ignore me, loaded question." he then started to walk away, with Eren staring at him, wondering about the question.

As Hange continued to break down without any signs of comfort, Rosemary raised her other hand and covered her mouth.

 _Who...who could have done such a thing..?_

* * *

 **Updated 3/20/17**

 **I AM SO SORRY I AM TERRIBLY SORRY I'M A HORRIBLE WRITER PLEASE FORGIVE ME *dogeza***

 **My grades have been bad lately, so I had to focus on school work, but the good news is that I'm finally on summer break, which means I can update again. Sorry again for not updating in a while :(**

 **Another reason I haven't been around is because I've been in other fandoms while waiting for Season 2. Marvel, K-On, K-pop, Yuri on Ice, Free...and I realized that I only have less than two weeks until Season 2 is here. I might have to rush because I want this fanfic done in time for Season 2.**

 **Again, I'm deeply sorry. *dogeza* I'll update again after a day of resting. Also, next chapter will feature Saoirse again, and also Janessa, who is still in grief over the death of her friends Marco and Keira.**

 **Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	16. What Needs To Be Done Now

**I counted the remaining days left I have before Season 2 premieres. I usually take one day off and then the other day I start posting. I realized that if I took the usual schedule, I wouldn't be able to meet the deadline. Which means everyday until April 1 I have to update :(**

 **Plus, a slight warning: Some of my OCs have a slight change in personality, so heres what I've changed:**

 **Saoirse: She gets anxious when someone's separated from her because of her father's death. Also she becomes friends with Eren and Armin before the fall.**

 **Janessa: Kind of a tsundere (Someone who is very rude and mean but kind and sweet on the inside) towards Jean (because she doesn't want him to know her feelings towards him) but after (SPOILERS) Marco and Keira's death, she brushes it away and becomes more responsible and focused.**

 **Rosemary: She's now 23 instead of 19.**

 **After I finish Season 1, I'll try to update the chapters to keep up with the changes of the story. Also, maybe after this, I'll either do an Origins fanfic based on my OC, OVA insert...and possibly a Yuri on Ice OC Insert story.**

 **Okay I'm rambling too much Ill get on with it**

* * *

The recent news has broken out that the two titans, Sawney and Beane, whom the Scouts were experimenting on, mysteriously got killed by one of the Military's soldiers. To find the culprit, the Military Police did an inspection of each of the Trainees' ODM gear.

"When did you last replace your shaft?" a male officer asked Sasha.

"After the mop up sir, that was six days ago," she answered honestly.

A female officer noted it down. "Right, she's clear."

"Okay, you're good," the male officer told her. "Who's next?"

"I'm with Squad 42, Krista Lenz, sir!" Krista answered.

The two made their way to inspect the gears. "Well, let's take a look,"

"So now we can actually get in _trouble_ for killing titans?" a cadet murmured to his friend.

"Yeah it's crazy, but they were valuable test subjects," his friend mumbled.

"I know that, what I don't understand is why they're finding the killer among the cadets," the cadet said.

"Right, we're worn out enough as it is from cleaning up the battlefield, who'd have the energy?"

Annie, Armin, Connie and Janessa were lined up in the row, overhearing the conversation. "Guess someone hated looking at those titans even more than I did," the buzz cut boy mumbled.

Armin looked at him and at his gear again. "The sad thing is they may have actually helped the titans more than anything," he said. "All that knowledge lost and for what, someone's personal revenge? It just doesn't make any sense."

"Well I might sound dumb, but I'm glad they did it," Connie told him.

Janessa and Armin both looked at him, shocked. "Before I'd actually see a titan, I was convinced I wanted to be a Scout and take them all on," he confessed. "Now I never want to lay eyes on one again."

The redhead nodded. "Honestly, I was convinced I was brave enough because I was used to hearing what they were, and after seeing one, my fear actually got the better of me, I never expected a titan to be as scary as we see them in person," she told the boys.

"And today, we have to pick which regiment to join." Connie said. He then noticed Jean, looking bitter, and he noticed that he was clenching his fist. Janessa noticed her friend staring and also stared at Jean, and as soon as she saw him, her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

 _Is he really gonna do it?_

* * *

 _After the clean up of bodies after the retaking of Trost, the surviving trainees watched as the bodies of the deceased ones were being buried in front of their eyes. But what's really depressing is that Marco and Keira, two of their good friends, have mysteriously died together. The trainees continued to watch the bodies burn with an aching heart, and Connie was sobbing non-stop. Jean looked at him and then at the bonfire again._

 _Janessa stood with Sasha, Krista and Ymir. She wanted to talk to Jean, but she knew that each of them still needed time to mourn over their dead friends._

 _I don't even know why I decided to join in the first place...or why we all did. Or why we have to fight, or why we have to wear this uniform. What good is there in this damn regiment if death is inevitable?_

 _She closed her eyes again, desperate not to cry._

 _Most importantly...after one death of another, we'd have to worry about who's next. I wish I could say who or when, but only time will tell._

 _The redhead then noticed Jean walking towards the bonfire and kneeling down. He then picked up a bone piece._

 _Jean...what are we going to do now? Without our friends to guide us? Would we be guided ourselves, or would we help each other?_

* * *

 _The redhead's heart started to beat fast when she approached the Beringer Chateau. Keira came from a rich yet generous and kind family, and the mansion was bigger than she thought. She looked at her friend's favorite necklace and luggage, and clenched it. She wasn't ready to tell the news yet, knowing the family would blame her and the Trainees for her death._

 _What are her folks going to do when they hear the news...nothing would be the same without her, even her twin brother and two younger brothers would be as depressed as her parents..._

* * *

 _"So, do you have any siblings?" the redhead asked as she and Keira were sitting on the upper bed of the bunker._

 _Keira nodded. "I have a twin brother and two younger brothers," she told her. "They love me very much, and my two brothers always ask something for me to teach everyday."_

 _Janessa smiled. "So which means to say, you are a teacher to them?" she asked._

 _"My twin brother Aaron and I, we both have the same dreams of making our family's image a clean and bright one," she told her. "There are many rich people here who simply care about themselves and the money, and that saddens me. Our family is known to be different from the other rich families, so we taught our brothers what is good and bad so they would pass it down, and we will be known as a pure-hearted wealthy family."_

 _"You're so luck Keira, and I like the idea of your dream," the redhead smiled._

* * *

 _Janessa hesitated to knock, but she did it anyways. As she was done, she nervously waited for someone to answer. After a few moments, a man dressed in a black suit opened the door. It was their butler._

 _"Welcome back Ms. Janessa," the butler greeted politely. "Is the Mistress with you?"_

 _That was the question she has been fearing to ask. She had to come up with a way to say it. Her mind was completely blank, and instead did it without thinking. She handed over the necklace and luggage._

 _"The mistress she...she..." Janessa was beginning to cry again. "She fought well in the battle, very brave and noble, she gave her life to save others. I-I'm terrible sorry...I'm so sorry...I'm sorry..."_

 _The butler grabbed the luggage and a desolated expression appeared on his face. "This is..this is very...I'm also truly sorry for your friend's loss, we shall arrange a funeral for her-"_

 _"I-It's won't be possible...they're going to burn her bodies...you'll never see her again..." Janessa said with sorrow._

 _The butler shook his head. "The family is going to be inconsolable hearing this," he sadly said, on the verge of tears. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention."_

 _Janessa nodded, and as she walked away, the butler slammed the door closed, obviously upset and heartbroken. She looked back again, before leaving. She knew the news would break their hearts, and she didn't want to see. She spotted Jean, who was also done delivering the grave news._

 _"Well?" Jean asked._

 _She stayed silent for a while. "They...didn't take it," she answered in a gloomy tone. "Let's go. How about you?"_

 _"They aren't very happy."_

* * *

 _Janessa wanted to cry at that memory again. She couldn't bear to see their folks mourning over them. Like them, she wanted her friends to live, but she knew that they were gonna die soon._

 _After what we've been through, I really don't know anymore...and I didn't even get to know what you were about to tell me...what...what was it?_

 _Suddenly, another memory hit her as soon as she was on the verge of crying again._

* * *

 _"You know Janessa, it saddens and frightens me that people are dying these days because of the titans," Keira told her as they were switching their gas tanks in the Trost HQ._

 _She nodded. "True, I try to act so brave and tough because I don't want them to see me as a coward," she confessed. "But I guess it's fear in the end."_

 _Keira then faced down. "I'm a coward," she murmured._

 _"No you're not, you help others willingly and brave enough to join," Janessa encouraged. "Wait, scratch that. We are all cowards. Yeah, that's better to not make you feel lonely."_

 _Keira raised her head up and giggled. "You're always so positive Janessa, even at crisis," she nicely said._

 _The redhead blushed and scratched her cheek. "You...mean it?" she asked. "People just see me as a nuisance and say I should be more serious. Maybe being positive doesn't help at all..."_

 _Her friend then placed her hand on her shoulder. "They just feel that way because they're scared, we are all scared," she assured. "Not all of us are strong, but our heart is the one that keeps us strong."_

 _"Also, isn't it a bit harsh to act so dismissive in front of Jean?" Keira asked suddenly._

 _Janessa blushed again and turned away. "I...don't know," she told her. "I do that so he wouldn't know my feelings. But because of it, he just sees me as naughty and wants Mikasa. I've only made it worse."_

 _"Trust me, he'll never know when it isn't obvious, and I recommend you to act more nicely so he would get closer with you," Keira assured. "Can I tell you something?"_

 _Janessa faced her. "Sure."_

 _Keira paused for a while. "Death is inevitable these days, and who knows? Marco and I might be the next ones to go out."_

 _"D-Don't say that, it makes me anxious," Janessa said._

 _"We won't be here anymore to give advice to the two of you, so listen closely," the caramel haired girl told her. "It's best to take our advice at heart. Even if we aren't here, we'll still be here to guide you, in your hearts. Just listen closely. We don't want you to give up, and we want you two to keep fighting for us. Just remember this when Marco and I die."_

 _The redhead nodded. "I will, I promise."_

* * *

 _As she remembered the advice, she clenched her fist and tried not to cry again._

 _What...do I do now? Keira and Marco aren't here anymore to advice misguided teenagers like Jean and I...so...that means..._

 _She closed her eyes._

 _I...have to improve myself. They keep me strong, and I'll continue to fight for them. I will balance my positivity and seriousness...I'll also try to act more kind to Jean...for them...because...they're still here! In our hearts, and their words would guide us. I'll...I'll join the Scouts!_

 _With that thought out, tears began to fall down her face. She quickly dabbed it before her friends could see. Suddenly, she heard Jean stand up._

 _"Hey guys, question for you," he called out to them._

 _Sasha, Janessa, Krista and Ymir faced up at him. Jean then faced the girls with a grim look on his face._

 _"...so have you decided yet? Which regiment to join?" he asked sorrowfully. "I've made my choice..."_

 _Connie stopped sobbing and looked at him. "...it'll be rough but..." Jean was on the verge of tears. He raised his fist and his other hand clenched it. "...dammit...!...I'm gonna join the Scouts!"_

 _After blurting it out loud, he began to cry. Janessa, too, started to cry, because she knew that the two made the same choice, for both of their friends._

* * *

Janessa looked at Jean clenching his fist again, and turned away.

 _After what happened...I shouldn't treat Jean harshly to make him oblivious to my feelings. Is he actually gonna join?_

"Hey Annie, you think Jean meant it?" Connie asked. "You think he's serious about joining the Scouts?"

Because Armin, Mikasa and Saoirse weren't there to see it, he was amazed and shocked. "Wait, _Jean said that?_ " he asked.

"Who cares." Annie harshly said.

"I know Jean. He keeps to his words, but this time, I'm not entirely sure..." Janessa began to doubt his decision again. He always wanted to join the Military Police to be safe in the interior, but she couldn't tell if what he's saying is gonna be true or not.

"So you're sticking with the MPs, huh?" Connie said. "I'm really starting to think I might go that way too."

The redhead's eyebrows furrowed. "Now that I think about it, I'm starting to have doubts again..." she said.

"Tell me something. If someone ordered you to die, would you do it?" Annie suddenly asked.

"W-What? Of course not," Connie answered.

"I wouldn't," Janessa said.

"Well, my advice is do what is best for you." Annie told them. "And what about you, Armin?"

Janessa faced him. "Uh, I think I might..." he said. "If the situation truly called for it, then I knew my sacrifice might save others. Not that I want to."

"Armin...you mean it?" she asked.

He kept facing the gear. "I'm not entirely sure..." he answered.

"So, you've decided then," the blonde female said.

"I've planned to join the Scouts from the start," he said.

"Come on, not you too Armin," Connie murmured.

"I guess I have to stick with the Scouts then," Janessa told them.

"Oh, you too Janessa?" the buzz cut boy complained.

"I'm impressed. For mice, you two have guts, I'll give both of you that." Annie said.

Armin and Janessa faced her. "Thanks, I guess," the blonde boy said.

"Um...I appreciate it?" the redhead said, still confused about her decision.

"You know, I'm beginning to suspect you care more than you let on," Armin said, shocking Annie, in which she faced him with a bizarre look.

"Hey, you mean it, don't you?" Janessa asked Armin.

"It's just, the way you're trying to discourage us from the Scouts, you're looking out for us," Armin admitted. "Is that why you're joining the MPs? By thinking you could do some good there too, huh?"

Annie looked away. "No, not really," she answered. "I just want to live. The only person I'm looking out for is myself."

Janessa raised an eyebrow and looked away.

 _Hmm, for herself? Kinda not wise..._

* * *

A day after inspection, Petra and Rosemary were taking a stroll around the castle. Apparently they were chosen to watch the recruitment of the Scouts. Both of them have been really good friends since they joined, and Petra usually advices Rosemary on some things she's weak at, and well, Rosemary advices on what is good or bad.

"So, how did the inspection go?" Rosemary asked.

Petra bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows. "Well sadly, the culprit isn't among them," she told her. "It's going to be a lot harder to track the person down at this rate."

The strawberry haired girl nodded. "I see," she said. "I still feel so sorry for Hange. Poor thing...after losing many titans in her experiments, she had to lose one again."

"I'm sure you did a good job comforting her," the ginger told her.

Rosemary nodded. "Thanks Petra. I appreciate it," she said. "I wonder how many recruits we're going to get."

"Don't know, most likely a few since they just been through hell already," Petra said. "With them joining, they would have a lot to worry about, and not all of them have the guts to survive."

The strawberry haired girl nodded again and faced down.

 _So far we're doing a good job monitoring Eren...by the time the 57th Expedition beyond the walls starts, Saoirse would be able to see him again._

Suddenly, a soldier ran up to the two. They stopped walking and faced him.

"You two are needed outside, the recruitment's about to begin." he told them.

The girls saluted. "Yes sir."

* * *

The cadets gathered at an open area with a stage by sunset. They were in a gloomy mood, because they weren't sure wether to join or not. Of course, after what they've been through, they have some hesitations and things to worry about. Sasha, Janessa and their other friends were silently waiting for the recruitment to begin. They heard footsteps approaching and they saw Jean in front of them.

Janessa was amazed to see that he was really going to do it. "Jean, you're really set on the Scouts?" Armin asked.

"Yeah." The young man answered.

Sasha leaned forward. "Whoa, are you serious?" she asked. "I mean...aren't you terrified?"

Jean raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Of course I'm scared, I'm not an idiot here," he told them.

"Uh..then why are you-" Connie was interrupted.

"Because I'm _scared_ of the titans, and I want to do something about it," Jean told them sternly, making it clear he's joining.

"Huh..?"

"But listen, I understand that joining the Scouts isn't for everybody," he said. "I won't guilt trip you, _hmph_. Unlike a certain suicidal maniac."

Janessa rolled her eyes. _He's referring to Eren again...Saoirse's not gonna like it, considering her worries._

"Eren, huh?" Connie murmured. "Guess he's already been in the Scouts for a while now, hasn't he? And Saoirse must miss him terribly."

Jean then suddenly faced Janessa. "You, Janessa," he called out to her, which made the others look at her as well. "Are you joining the Scouts as well?"

The redhead faced up, before looking down again. "Uh...y-yes...," she answered. However, she still had her doubts, despite her mind set on it. She isn't even sure if she had the guts to do it.

" _Cadets! Fall in!_ " a soldier somewhere in the crowd called out to the trainees. "Head over to the platform, _time to make your choice!_ "

The trainees began making their way to the platform. "At the end of the day, there's nothing that anyone could say to persuade you into risking your life. Same goes for me," Jean said. "So believe me if I say this decision is all _mine_."

He then walked away. Janessa stared at the floor and slightly blushed.

 _Should I join? I know Jean still has his doubts._

Connie stood up and the five followed the cadets to the platform to start the recruitment.

* * *

By the time the cadets gathered around the platform, it was already night time. Torches were lit up and to illuminate light on the platform. The commander stood in the center, straight and calm.

"Good evening, I'm Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps, also known as the Scout Regiment," he introduced. "Today you will choose your regiment. Let's cut to the chase here."

"The Scouts need you. We need all the one bodies we can get. After the recent titan attack, you now know firsthand of the horrors of which they are capable," he continued, sparking the cadets' memories of that terrible incident. "As well as the limits of your own skill."

"However, this battle's aftermath, gave humanity a new chance for victory. I refer to _Eren Yeager_."

His name made Saoirse slightly gasped, and she grew worried about him again. Mikasa placed her hand on her shoulder to assure her.

"After selflessly risking life and limb, he has proven beyond doubt is loyalty to our cause," the commander stated. "Hope lives, in him. Eren didn't just help to deter the titan invasion, _he's offered as a means of discern the truth of their origin._ "

This made the cadets gasp, surprised he could offer a possible solution to all their problems. "Intells suggest the cellar of Yeager's home in Shinganshina holds a vital secret regarding our enemy. We will form an expedition to find this secret. Find it, _and use it to break free from the Titans' tyrannical hundred year reign once and for all!"_

This made the cadets gasp. Perhaps there is hope for humanity after all. The crowd began to murmur. But some people think this was just bait to lure them into the Scouts.

Saoirse stared at the commander with wide eyes. _Is he actually toying with us? Or is this legit?_

* * *

"Before we can reach for aforementioned cellar in Shinganshina, another problem must be dealt with," Erwin stated. "We first must retake Wall Maria. Of course, this is much easier to be said than done."

He gestured to Rosemary and Petra, in which the two were holding a huge paper that illustrates the formation plan. Saoirse was surprised to see her onstage.

"Now that the gate of Trost has been rendered inaccessible, we'll be forced to stage future operations from the Kolonith district, further to the east," Erwin said. "Thus the battalion route we spent the last four years establishing has been completely useless to us. Over the course of those four years, we've encouraged losses an excessive 60% in four years. That's a _horrifying_ figure."

Rosemary closed her eyes in sadness, remembering her fellow comrades. Petra placed her hand on her shoulder to assure her.

"One month from now, we will conduct a recon mission outside the walls," Erwin told them. "Recruits from among your ranks will be expected to take part."

This caused the crowd to gasp and murmur. "I estimate a third of them will die," he said. "After four years, most will be dead. But those who endure will be amongst the most capable soldiers alive."

"Now having heard this dismal state of affairs, whoever still wishes to put their life on the line and join us, remain here," Erwin said. "But first ask yourself: _Can you give your hearts? Can you give everything for humanity?_ "

This caused a murmur in the crowd.

"That is all." Erwin finished. "Those wanting to join other regiments are dismissed."

One of the soldiers in the backstage approached Erwin. "Commander, I think that you may have overly intimidated the cadets sir," he told him. " _None_ of them are gonna stick around."

The cadets started to leave. Apparently, most of them decided to leave, it's most likely none would join the regiment after hearing the speech. Some were intimidated and afraid, some just want to go back to their lives and some wanted to join a safer regiment. Annie also happened to be one of the cadets leaving. Jean and his friends were surprised almost no one wanted to join. This caused them to have hesitations wether or not they'll join.

Mikasa, Armin and Saoirse also began to have hesitations.

 _I...Should I..? This is what I've been dreaming for my whole life...should I do it or not? Should I go through the horrors again after what we just been through?_

She has been so focused on joining, she didn't even know what to do right before joining. This was it, but she felt like leaving. She has gone through so many horrible events in life, she didn't want to face one again, yet alone afraid to die.

Janessa clenched her fist and closed her eyes.

 _They're leaving...even I feel like leaving...I'm scared...I don't want to die..dammit...!...I don't want Jean and the others to think I'm an idiot!_

She had made her decision, but after seeing their reaction, she was in the line between quitting and joining. If she didn't leave, she would have to go through it all again. She wanted to make her brother and parents proud. She has to prove she isn't cowardly and is willing to be positive if she had to.

Saoirse bit her lip.

 _We've seen them..._

Janessa clenched her teeth.

 _...we've seen how completely terrifying they are!_

* * *

The remaining cadets stood still as they have finally decided to join the Scouts.

"I ask you, if you were ordered to die, could you do it?" Erwin asked.

"We don't wanna die, _sir!_ " one of them answered.

The commander closed his eyes for a moment before smirking. "Of course," he said. "Let us hope that you don't, then. You who've stayed, you are now one of us. Allow me to welcome you into the Scout Regiment. This is a _genuine_ salute soldiers, _together we give our hearts!_ "

He then saluted, prompting the cadets to salute diligently as well.

" _Sir!_ " they bravely answered.

Saoirse, Mikasa, Armin, Janessa, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Bertolt, Reiner, Krista, Ymir and a few stood still with brave looks on their faces, satisfied with their choice.

Armin turned to the girls. "Everyone...," he murmured.

Saoirse nodded. "We...did it.." she said.

"Joined the Scouts...this is so stupid..." Jean complained under his breath.

Janessa nodded. "I think I'm starting to get scared again..." she murmured.

"This is scary! I just want to go home!" Sasha told Connie.

"Oh man, what the hell..." he replied.

Krista began to cry in fear. Ymir turned to her. "If you're gonna keep crying, then don't stay." she said.

"Those of you standing here have worked through your fear, you've proven yourselves courageous," he complimented. "Each one of you has my respect."

Rosemary gave a small smile upon seeing her friend Saoirse among the cadets. She also felt happy because she'll get to see her beloved Eren again.

* * *

The next day after recruitment, the cadets were introduced to the squad leaders, as well as being introduced to their horses.

" _Attention!_ " the squad leader said. The cadets saluted at his command.

"I'm Section Commander Ness," he introduced himself. "And this girl is my horse, Charett. Fare warning, Charett is rather partial into pulling hair, so I'd watch out if you don't wanna go bald. We're glad to meet ya-"

Charett then started to bite on his handkerchief, wrapped around his bald head. " _Hey stop that you freak!_ " he was struggling to stop her.

It took everything in Janessa to try to hold her laughter, in which resulted into her snickering whilst saluting. Saoirse leaned closer on her ear.

"Try to stay serious," she reminded her.

"Okay I will," Janessa answered.

* * *

Soon, the cadets were given classes and training for the upcoming expedition, except that they were more combat oriented. They were also required to memorize the Long Range Scout Formation, Erwin's plan, so it'll be harder for titans to capture. They took down notes as Ness held a long stick and pointed t the far right corner of the paper.

"You rookies will be here, between the wagon Defense Squad and the Scouts Support Squad," he told them. "You will run spare horses, as well as relay signals."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Levi squad wandered off to a nearby forest to study the formation plan.

"Our special Ops squad will be positioned here," Gunther pointed at the location on the paper. Eren, Rosemary, Petra and Eld studied carefully and listened to their friend. "Behind this rank."

"So we'll be pretty far back then," Eren said.

Rosemary nodded. "It's the safest position on the formation," Gunther tapped on the paper twice. "The supply wagons don't even get such fine treatment."

"All squads should have fair treatment for a more cooperative expedition," Rosemary stated.

Eld nodded. "I agree with Rosemary here," he said.

"Our goal this time around is to simply leave, then come back," Gunther said. "Today's expedition will serve as a sort of test run, to see if we got a shot at getting you all the way to Shinganshina."

"And also to be able to be alert and know what to do in case of emergency," Rosemary added.

"Understood," Eren said. "Either way, I still don't really know how to use my ability or if I can even control it."

"Eren, do you understand what the commander was asking you about back then?"

The teal eyed boy's memory of that moment played in his mind again.

* * *

 _"Who do you think the real enemy is here?"_

* * *

"What did he mean by that? What do you guys think?" Eren asked, looking at Eld first.

"No clue," he said.

He faced Petra, who shook her head. He looked at Rosemary, who also shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know," she said.

"Well if I told you what I knew what he meant I'll be lying to you," Oluo said. "That said I-"

He was interrupted by Gunther, who scrolled the paper. "It's entirely feasible," he said. "But this operation has an alternative goal. And yet, the commander decided it's best to hold from the rank. If that's the case, leaving and coming back is all we need to concern ourselves with. _Have faith in the commander._ "

Eren nodded. "I will."

"Today's training is concluded, return to base." Gunther instructed.

* * *

After arriving at the castle, Eren was assigned to clean the dirt of the horses in the stables. After a while, he went outside to see Oluo drinking from his mug; and his friends walking forward. He was so surprised, he didn't even know what to do or say.

"Woah, I don't believe it..." Eren said. He faced his friend. "Oluo, may I be excused to talk to my friends for a minute?"

Oluo looked up from drinking his mug. "Fine, just don't take too long." he said sarcastically.

The boy then ran up to them.

"Hey _Saoirse! Mikasa! Armin!_ " he called out to them.

The three stopped walking and turned around to see their friend, much to their relief. And most importantly, Saoirse's worries have come to an end, for now.

" _Eren!_ " Mikasa stuttered.

"Oh Eren, thank goodness!" Saoirse sighed with relief. "We miss you so much."

"Man, am I glad to see you guys!" Eren was basically happy to see his friends again, especially Saoirse.

Mikasa then took his hands. "Eren, have they mistreated you in any way?" she asked in worry. "Like subjecting you to any cruel experiments? _Or some sort of mental anguish?_ "

"N-No, not at all," Eren answered.

A grim look appeared on Mikasa's face. " _That pipsqueak took things way too far,_ " she murmured. " _I will make him pay for it one day._ "

Eren raised an eyebrow. "Hold on, you mean _Captain Levi?_ " he asked.

The said corporal just glared at them and left with his horse. The other trainees soon noticed and approached Eren.

"Hey, Eren!" Connie called out.

"Long time no see!" Sasha greeted.

"Sup Eren! Been lonely without you," Janessa happily greeted.

Rosemary, who was leaving with her horse, smiled as Saoirse and her friends got to see Eren again. She then left for her room.

"Hey guys! You're all here...," Eren said, and noticed most of his friends joined. "Oh...wait...if all of you are here then does that mean...you're saying you _guys have joined the Scouts?_ "

"Well yeah, why else we would be here?" Connie answered.

"Of course," Eren said. "So then Jean, Annie and Marco went to the Military Police and Keira joined the Garrison?"

His answer came when he heard footsteps behind him. He was shocked to see Jean standing there.

"W-Wait a sec- You joined too?" he was amazed.

Jean was bitter to tell the news. " _Marco and Keira are dead,_ " he blurted it out.

The news shocked Eren. He had never expected his friends to die. "They what-?" he stammered. "Wh-What are you saying? Marco and Keira aren't dead..! You're just kidding around, _right?_ "

"I wish I could tell you they died nobly or heroically," Jean told him. "Truth is, Janessa and I don't even know how they went out. They died _alone_. No one was there to see it happen."

Eren couldn't believe the news. "Marco and Keira are dead..." he mumbled.

Janessa closed her eyes. "It's true." she stated.

"Alright rookies, _form up!_ " Ness called out. Another squad leader was holding a pile of Survey Corps mantles for them to wear. "Your uniforms are here!"

Each of the trainees put on their mantle, creating their image as a brave and noble Scout. Saoirse examined the mantle she was wearing.

 _Finally...I get to have my own Scouts mantle...like my father used to wear._

Eren watched as his friends stood bravely with their mantles. He also imagined Keira and Marco wearing them, whilst holding hands together.

* * *

The night before the expedition, the trainees gathered around inside the castle.

"So then, you guys are really..." Eren said to them.

"Yes, we will be in the upcoming operation as well," Mikasa told him.

Saoirse nodded. "Don't worry, we've got your back," she assured.

Jean faced him. "Hey, Eren," he called out to him. "I heard that while you were in your titan form, you intentionally tried to crush Mikasa and Saoirse. Mind telling us what was that all about?"

Saoirse glared at Jean. "You're wrong, he thought he was swatting a fly, nothing more-" Mikasa said.

"I wasn't asking _you,_ " he harshly said. "Oh, by the way. That cut on your cheek looks pretty deep. Just how did you get that again?"

"Apparently it's all _true_ ," Eren admitted, shocking Mikasa and Saoirse. "When I was a titan I..I tried to kill Saoirse and Mikasa."

" _Apparently?_ As in you don't remember wether you did it or not?" Jean asked. "So basically you can transform into a 14-meter tall monster, it will. But when you do, you don't actually have full control over it?"

Eren faced the floor. "Not yet, but that's right."

Jean narrowed his eyes at Eren, sighed and turned to face the others. "Did you hear that everyone? What a fine situation this is," he told them. "Our lives and the fate of all mankind rests on his shoulders. I'm guessing we'll all probably end up like Marco and Keira. _Dead well_ before Eren even knows it."

Mikasa glared at him. " _Stop it,_ what's the point of chastizing Eren now, _just give it a rest,_ " she sternly said.

"Besides, it already happened, so get over it," Saoirse said.

"Listen Saoirse and Mikasa," Jean said. "Unlike you two, most of the rest of us, aren't willing to throw our lives away for him on a whim."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes whilst Saoirse rolled her eyes.

"We need a _reason,_ " Jean said. "The _truth._ We want to know what we're laying our lives down _for._ Otherwise, we might hesitate when the time is at hand."

"What we _want,_ is a _guarantee_ from Eren." Jean stated. "Show us what's your worth. _Prove it to us._ We're asking you to make us believe you are worth dying for. "

He then walked up to Eren and placed his hands on his shoulders. " _You think you can do that?"_ he asked. " _If you can, then we're with you. All the way._ "

Janessa winked. "You can count on us!" she said.

"R-Right..." Eren murmured.

* * *

It was finally the day of the expedition. The soldiers were lined up on their horses. Civilians gathered around to watch them go on another expedition. Some were feeling excited, at the same time gloomy. No one knows who would die, no one knows what's gonna happen, only time will tell. The bell rang as well.

"Commander, the time approaches," one of the soldiers said. "Time for the facility to go under way! _Gate opens in thirty seconds!_ "

Rosemary readied her horse, and stroked it's fur. "It's going to be okay boy, just stay with me and do what we do," she assured. She glanced at Levi again, who was in front of her. He sensed someone staring at him at the back of his head, so he turned around to see the girl. She grew flustered and pretended to look at the gate.

Meanwhile, Saoirse readied herself. She looked at Mikasa, and gave her a thumbs up. Mikasa nodded as well. " _Good luck to you too._ "

She noticed Rosemary not too far away. She waved to get her attention, and luckily, Rosemary sensed it. She looked at Saoirse and smiled. She gave a thumbs up, wishing good luck and winked at her too. Saoirse also spotted Eren who was near her friend. She pointed at Eren, in which Rosemary tapped on his shoulder and told him to look at Saoirse. He winked, and gave a thumbs up. Saoirse also gave a thumbs up and mouthed, "Good luck."

Janessa cracked up her knuckles and is prepared for anything. She glanced at Jean, who was beside her.

"Hey Jean, good luck," Janessa whispered.

He nodded and murmured, "Good luck to you too."

Saoirse then heard two girls near her. She glanced at them.

"Hey sis, it's the Scouts!" the youngest one said.

The older sister nodded. "Yep, and that symbol on their cape, is called the Wings of Freedom," she said. "I wanna grow up to be one of them someday!"

"Oooh! _Me too!_ " the youngest said.

Saoirse smiled. She used to be like that when she was a kid, and now she was living it.

" _This is it!"_ the soldier announced. Saoirse moved her head forward. " _The day has come for humanity to take another step forward! Let's show the titans exactly what we're made of!_ "

The soldiers raised up their swords, screaming for victory. The gate then slowly opened, and soon after, it was time.

" _FORWARD!_ " Erwin shouted, raising his horse, and thus, his horse moved forward first. Then, the others soon followed, and now, all of them are already outside the walls.

" _It's officially begun! The 57th Recon Mission!_ " Erwin shouted. " _Scouts, MOVE ON!_ "

* * *

 **Okay my hands really hurt I need to stop now I'll update tomorrow**


	17. Female Titan

**I'ts kind of frustrating and tiring that every day until Season 2 releases, I have to update :( This is bad for my health, but this is for the sake of the fanfic.**

* * *

The 57th Recon Mission outside the walls has begun. The soldiers were riding through abandoned houses, fields and windmills. This place has been deserted due to the titan's attack. There were no people in the area, the crops were dead, and the land was dead, literally. The only thing that lived in this land were titans. As the Scouts went further into the land, Hange, who was in front, spotted a titan nearby.

" _We've got a ten meter titan closing in on the left!_ " she cried out.

Two scouts got off their horses and flew to the titan with their ODM gear. They targeted their grappling hooks on the nape of the titan, and one of them sliced it efficiently.

" _Too shallow!_ " one of the soldiers remarked. The titan then attempted to crush them, but they dodged just in time.

Sasha kept staring in fear at the titan, until her squad leader put his hand on her head and faced it forward. " _Face front! They'll handle it, you just keep moving!_ " he instructed.

" _Forward! Run with all your lives!_ " the squad leader yelled out.

While they were riding on their horses, Rosemary glanced at Eren and Oluo when the two started talking to each other.

"Loaded question, be straight with me," Eren asked Oluo. "Do you think my friends have a shot at taking down the titans?"

"I'm sure they do have a chance, why else would they be joining the regiment?" Rosemary answered.

" _Really?_ We should certainly hope so, otherwise what the hell would they be training for?" Oluo said. "Now listen, and listen well: Prepare yourself, which means the time is nigh, just choke back those fears and-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he accidentally bit his tongue again, blood spilling out. Rosemary cringed.

"Oh goodness." she mumbled under her breath.

As soon as the deeper they ventured into the territory, Erwin placed his arm in front, signalling the formation.

" _Long range formation! Let's go!_ " Erwin shouted.

As soon as he finished saying it, the soldiers immediately went to their respective places. This was a really thought out plan.

Reiner turned to Armin, Janessa and Jean. "See you around," he said. "Good luck."

Janessa winked. "We wish you good luck too, buddy," she replied.

"Do as a favor and if you run into one into a titan, don't piss yourself," Jean told Armin.

Armin nodded. "Yeah, same goes for you, and you too Janessa," he said.

"And I hope you do not run off, you know being alone sucks," Janessa said.

Soon, the respective members went to their positions. Mikasa and Saoirse were in Row 3-3, signaling. Eren, Petra, Rosemary and Oluo were put on Row 5, Standby. Bertolt and Reiner were assigned to Row 2-5, Signaling. Jean alone was in Row 3-4 Signaling. Armin and Janessa were in Row 2-4, Signaling.

Soon, the Scouts were already far away from the walls. Armin meanwhile, was nervous and a bit scared. He has never been assigned to this position before, yet alone his first time. Janessa noticed his nervousness.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay, just stay calm," she assured. "Besides, at least it's the two of us."

"Thanks," Armin replied.

They suddenly heard the sound of a pistol fire. They looked up and saw a red flare. They knew it was coming from the front row, who was gonna see a lot of titans nearby.

"The titans are here," Janessa mumbled. "Let's move!"

Janessa and Armin then led their horses to run faster. So far, the strategy made it easier to be alert on where the titans are. And also so far, no one has died yet. The plan was executed efficiently. Some soldiers barely escaped because of their fear, while some tried to stay away from the titans. Overall, the formation plan was working.

Yet for some reason, something felt wrong. Janessa glanced at her friend. "Hey Armin, don't you think something's off?" she asked, nervous.

"Now that I think about it, we haven't heard anything since the last red flare," Armin told her. "And the formation's still over the map."

Janessa nodded. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said.

Armin nodded. "We have to stay alert," he noted.

"Get ready to fire the flare," the redhead reminded, in which in response, Armin nodded.

Suddenly, they heard the shot of a flare. They turned to the direction of the sound and saw black smoke. Janessa blinked.

"Wait a sec, if that's black smoke, that means a titan is ignoring the out-layers, and it's heading for the center, right?" she asked.

Armin raised his pistol in the air. "Yeah," he answered.

He shot a black flare, signalling the other soldiers nearby. They saw the two squad leaders, Dita Ness and Cis running from behind the trees, followed by an _abnormal._

"Holy crap- _it's an abnormal!_ " the redhead cried out, pulling the reins to make her horse go faster.

"Stay close to me!" Armin instructed, pulling the reins to make the speed of his horse increase.

The two's horses carried them and ran fast as they watched the abnormal in between Squad Leaders Ness and Cis. Janessa then faced her friend again.

"Do you think they're gonna be okay?" she asked. "If they're in trouble, we have to go back for them and kill the titan!"

She prepared her blades, but Armin stopped her. "No! We have to keep in our position," he told her. "I'm sure they'll handle it."

Janessa looked at her sword, and stick her sword inside the the black box. "Okay, but in case," she said.

The two continued to ride on their horses at full speed, and as soon as they rode further, they heard the sounds of slashing. They turned around to see the abnormal titan's body on the ground, evaporating. Ness and Cis have finished the job.

" _Wait to go! Nicely done, Ness!_ " Armin cried out.

Janessa raised her fist in the air. " _Go Ness! That's how we do it in these days!_ " she cheered. "Those are our squad leaders!"

She held up her hand, and Armin shyly gave a high five. The redhead giggled. "That happens when I'm happy," she told him.

"Heh, you're always so positive," Armin remarked. "But remember our job here, and remember to be serious."

"I will!"

The two rode further down, and suddenly, she saw Armin glance at something. She asked him, "What is it?" She was fearing the worst. She glanced at the direction, and gasped.

"Hey Armin, what's that?" she asked, hoping it was another abnormal.

"It's probably an abnormal, let's get moving," Armin said, pulling on the reins of his horse to move.

"Really..?" Janessa said. " _Then why is it running so fast?_ "

"Huh?" the boy turned around again.

"I'm sure Ness and Cis can kill it... _right?_ " Janessa asked nervously, knowing something was very odd about the abnormal heading for them. The stomping grew louder and turned around to see...

It was a 15 meter tall titan with blonde hair, and no skin. The scary part was, that it was running so fast, like how a normal human would run. Janessa's eyes widened upon seeing the titan.

"What the-?!" she stammered. " _It's running so fast! So humanlike! It's not even possible!_ "

Armin then shot a black flare. His eyes widened upon seeing it.

" _It's moving so fast!"_ he cried out. " _Too fast!_ "

Janessa pulled on the reins of her horse to make it run faster. " _Forward! Faster!_ " she alarmed, making Armin do the same thing to his horse and run faster.

 _How is that possible?! It's unbelievable! There can't be any titans moving at that speed! Ness and Cis will finish the job, we're sure of it._

She heard Cis shift and she whipped her head around to see him approaching the nape, but instead of the usual finishing job, he was smashed, blood spilling everywhere. Janessa's eyes widened upon seeing the death of the squad leader.

" _No way!_ " she yelled.

The titan then grabbed Ness' wire and smashed him on to the ground, killing him and blood spilling everywhere. Janessa and Armin couldn't believe what they were seeing. And as if the world have gone slow, the titan turned it's head towards the two, determined to make them it's next victim. Armin and Janessa's eyes widened.

" _Son of a bitch! It killed them!_ " Janessa shouted. " _Move faster! It's coming for us next! Go! Go! Go!"_

She and Armin pulled on the reins of their horses to make them run faster to escape the titan. It was only their first expedition and they were already on the brink of death. The stomping was growing louder, indicating the titan was coming close to them. Janessa closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, not ready to die yet.

 _If we don't run fast enough, we can kiss our asses goodbye! The titan is so fast! It almost seems like it has an intelligent mind! But how..? How?! It killed Ness and Cis in an odd and different way, it didn't eat them! This is more than an abnormal!_

" _Did that really just happen?!"_ Armin asked. " _We're not dealing with an abnormal, this thing's showing intelligence! Like the Colossal...like Eren! It's as if there's someone in the body!_ "

" _That's impossible! There can't be any intelligent titans besides Eren!_ " Janessa cried out. " _This thing is damn persistent!_ "

" _Why?! What are we gonna do?!_ " he was in a state of panic. " _We're dead! We're so dead!_ "

Armin then let go of the reins of the other horse. " _Go! Make a break for it!_ " he cried out, the horse running to a different direction.

" _What are you doing?!_ " Janessa shrieked.

" _I'm letting it go to alert the others!_ " Armin answered.

The titan's foot stomped on the foot of the horse, making it neigh in pain. Suddenly, a large shadow loomed over them, and they gasped upon seeing that the titan's foot was on top of them. Janessa quickly pulled on the reins of her horse to make it run away from the foot. She got away, but still shocked upon seeing Armin was just on his horse standing there, too shocked.

" _Armin! Get out of there!_ " she shrieked.

The titan then stomped in between him and his horse. The impact made him jump out of his horse and into the ground.

" _ARMIN!_ " Janessa screamed. She realized that she's already far away from him. " _Dammit!_ "

She got off her horse and quickly ran to his aid. But stopped in her tracks when the titan loomed over him and raised it's hand over him. Janessa turned pale. This was how he's gonna die. She was too shocked to move. Her mind went completely blank. There was nothing she could do.

The titan's hand just reached for his hoodie and pulled it over. Armin looked up in shock as he realized the titan was staring at him. Janessa stared at the scene in a puzzled look.

 _What the hell? It's not killing him..?_

After a brief moment of staring, the titan got up and ran in a different direction. As if to look for someone. Armin stood in shock, trying to process on what just happened.

Janessa quickly made her way over him. "Armin!" she called out, and knelt beside him. "You okay buddy?"

"Y-Yeah but..." Armin was still in shock.

"What the heck was that about?" Janessa asked, looking at the direction on where the titan head off to.

"...this doesn't make any sense... _why didn't it...why didn't it kill me..?_ " Armin muttered. " _...it pulled back my hood...why would it need to check my face..?_ "

Janessa stood up. "I don't know...but something's telling me that this isn't over yet...," she said in fear. "...but why...? Something's really off..."

" _Armin! Janessa!_ " they heard a ruff voice call out to them.

They turned around to see Reiner and his spare horse riding towards them.

"Reiner!" Armin sighed.

"Oh thank God, you should have seen what happened..." she was also still in shock.

"Hey, can you two ride?" Reiner asked, concerned. "What the hell are you two doing? This is full blown titan country, you two can't be without a horse. _Climb on!"_

Janessa shook her hands. "Nah my horse is over there, you need to help the poor guy," she said.

* * *

Janessa, Reiner and Armin rode together as the two told them what happened.

"I came as fast I could when I saw the black smoke," Reiner told them. "Nice for spotting an abnormal, you've got to admit."

"It's not an abnormal: It's a person controlling a titan body!" Armin said.

Reiner and Janessa both looked at him. "Wait, what?!" he asked.

"How are you so sure?" the redhead stated. "We don't know unless there's proof that it is."

Armin instead grabbed his flare. "I'll explain in a second, we need to fire off a signal to warn the others!"

Janessa nodded. "Good idea."

He then struggled to place the bullet. "Come on, you _piece of garbage! It's an emergency!_ " he complained, until he heard the firing sound from behind them.

They turned to see Jean riding behind them. He shot a yellow flare.

"Hey, it's alright," Reiner assured. "Looks like Jean's got you covered."

"Oh, hi Jean," Janessa greeted. "Glad to see you're okay."

They heard more shots and saw dozens of yellow flares in the air. "Oh man, that's not good," Reiner mumbled. "The right wing has suffered too many casualties to carry on."

"If this continues, it's only gonna be a few of us when we come back," Janessa said.

Jean had caught up to them. "Yeah, barely most of them were wiped out by the titan ambush," he told them. "I don't know how it happened, but it was bad. Sons of bitches were lightning fast. The spotters didn't have time to react. Whoever's left is trying to hold them off. But that means now there's no one on look out duty."

"Uh oh," Janessa muttered.

"You're right, 'uh oh'", Jean replied. "Talk about a setback, right? If we don't watch ourselves, we're all gonna get wiped out."

"Wait, she came from that direction...," Armin whispered to himself. "Then does that mean...she could have led the titans here like a commander?"

"Who? Her?" Jean asked, gesturing at the same titan that chased Armin and Janessa, who was running in a different direction in front of them. "She's running from us, by the way. Is she an abnormal?"

"No she isn't, I still don't know how is that possible but...," he answered. "...she's another human who's taken titan form. Someone who has the same power as Eren."

"If that's the case...we're in big trouble," Janessa mumbled.

"Say you're not serious," Jean said.

"Really? Why do you think that?" Reiner asked.

"Titans eat people but are not murderers," he explained. "Sure that killing is the process but it's intent, they just feed on instinct, like any creature."

"This one's different," he continued. "When the others went for her nape, she struck them down in cold blood, swatted them like flies. She didn't eat them, she _killed_ them and moved on. That's out of character, even for an abnormal. The titans that took out the right wing, I think she brought them here. Just like when the Colossal and Armored Titan struck. I know it! She's not done simplifying blood loss, she has it in for us!"

"But how is it possible that she could have led them here?" Janessa asked. "It'd be weirder enough if she has the ability to speak."

"I don't know, but I'm positive that's how the right wing was wiped out," Armin replied.

Janessa faced Reiner. "And another weird fact about that titan is that instead of killing him, she simply removed his hood," she explained. "It's as if...as if she's looking for someone!"

"Janessa's right!" Armin said. "At this point the question becomes who, and why?"

"It could be someone she really hates, or she's just assigned to assassinate that person," Janessa tried to conclude. "I have a feeling she's after someone who has the same ability as her, but I could be wrong."

Armin faced her. "Hey, now that you said it, could it be Eren?" he asked.

Reiner raised an eyebrow. "Eren? He's with Levi Squad," he told him. "They're spearheading the right wing. _Or they were_."

Jean, Armin and Janessa looked at him. "Wait, Levi's team?" he asked. "I'm pretty sure you're wrong there big guy."

Janessa shot a dirty look. "Duh, dummy," she replied. "Who else wouldn't monitor Eren?"

"My copy of the plan had him on the left wing," Jean reported.

"That's odd, because my copy of the plan had them in front of the right wing too," Armin told them. "Which now that I think about it, doesn't make any sense. Putting him in the vanguard wouldn't be smart, strategically."

"So do I," Janessa said. "Maybe you've read it wrong."

Jean rolled his eyes. "I'm sure I've read it."

"Then...where exactly are they suppose to be?" Reiner asked.

"Come on, where else?" Armin answered. "That's the safest position in the formation..in which I assume at least? It would be where the center rank is."

Janessa bit her lip. "If that isn't the case, Saoirse has an awful lot to worry about again," she said.

Reiner faced him. "Armin!" Jean blurted out.

"Now's not the time to be chasing about this," Jean said. "We've got to get word about how dangerous this one is. Smoke signals aren't gonna cut it!"

Janessa rolled her eyes again. "But it could be serious, ya know," she mumbled under her breath.

He ignored her. "At this rate she'll cut down the command squad," Jean noted. "We'll let that happen, the formation goes to hell and we all die!"

"You have a plan?" Reiner asked.

"Whatever plan you have in mind, it has to be safe and swift," Janessa faced him. "We're in the danger of risking our lives here."

"More than a prayer," Jean replied. "We've got to try to distract her so the platoon will have a chance of retreat. If we're careful in this distance, we should be able to manage it...and make it out alive...maybe."

Janessa nodded. "Let's hope this works...," she muttered.

"She's smarter than the usual titans we usually deal with," Armin told him. "You can take my word for it, from her perspective, we're little more than insects. One swap, and we're all flattened."

"Is that a fact?" Jean asked.

"Um, yeah," Janessa said. "Armin's saying we have to keep that fact in our heads if we want this plan to go out as we expected."

"Since when are you so serious?" Jean asked.

"Our lives are at stake here, so if we want to live, we have to focus, do you get it?" the redhead questioned him.

"Heh, what a terrifying thought," he mumbled.

The three just stared at him. "Seriously, what have you done with the real Jean?" Reiner asked. "No offense man, but the one I knew can be only counted to look out for himself."

"Stop being a coward and just do it, dummy!" Janessa blurted out. As she said that, she completely forgot about saying that she shouldn't act dismissive anymore.

"You're people's skills need work," Jean said. "Believe me friends, I'm still all about number one. I just don't want to end up in a pile of bones where no one knows which one's mine. Thing is..I get it now. _I get what needs to be done if we're gonna survive this fight! And one last check, nobody is forced to take on this position! Now are you with me or not?!_ "

The three stared at him, surprised. Janessa winked. "I'm with ya Jean!" she said. "You just gotta believe."

Armin then pulled his hood over his head. "Pull your hood all the way over so it covers you!" he instructed. "She won't try to kill you if she can't see your face!"

"If she's looking for someone specific, she won't low us down unless she knows for sure we're not them!" Armin said.

"Good idea," Reiner said, pulling his hood over his face. "As far as she knows, any one of us could be her target underneath this get up. That's actually kind of encouraging. Hey, you'll never know maybe we'll get lucky and she'll be near sided."

Janessa nodded. "Easier said than done!" she said, pulling her hood over her face and bringing out her swords.

Jean stared at them for a while, before nodding. "Not gonna lie, the way you clung to Eren like security at that time used to creep me out," he said. "But I always knew you were brilliant!"

He then pulled his hood over his head. "O-Okay thank you," Armin said.

Janessa winked again. "Don't you worry Armin, your skills are always in handy when we need it," she encouraged.

"Not exactly sure how to take that, but thanks."

The four started to increase the speed of their horses, and soon enough, they were already inches away from the titan. Their hearts were beating at a nervous pace. They have to execute this well, or they'll be wiped out. Armin looked at his friends, before facing the titan.

"Get ready," Janessa whispered.

 _Just stay calm and remember what to do guys. If we do this right, this bitch won't have a chance of attacking anymore._

Jean then kissed his hand that was holding his blades for safety, before leaping off his horse and starting the plan. He was about to target his grappling hooks before the titan noticed him. She attempted to crush him, but he landed on the ground safely and avoided it. Armin's eyes widened as he realized the titan was going for him. She raised her hands up, about to crush him.

" _Yikes!_ " Janessa cried out, pulling the reins of her horse to make it go in a different direction to avoid getting crushed.

But Armin didn't have time to escape. The titan slammed her hand on his horse, hard enough to make him leap in the air and crash on the ground, breaking his gear and severely damaging his head.

" _Shit!_ _Armin!_ " Janessa shrieked. This was the second time he was in danger. She leaped off her horse and went straight for him. Jean also saw what happened and ran to his aid as well. Armin's horse crashed into Reiner.

Armin was injured by the impact, he couldn't move. His forehead was bleeding. A large shadow loomed over him and realized the titan was ready to kill him off.

" _Nonono!_ " Janessa yelled. " _Armin get out of there!_ "

Jean targeted his grappling hooks towards the titan. " _Armin!_ " he shouted. The titan felt the grapples hook on her and immediately turned around to see Jean leaping at her.

" _Jean be careful!_ " Janessa called out, in a state of panic.

 _Dammit! She moves so swift and fast! It's nearly impossible to kill her!_

She yelped as the titan attempted to crush Jean with her arm, but he avoided. Janessa started sweating, realizing that he was in the line between death and life. With each attack move to attempt to kill him, she feared that it would be the final blow to finish him off. Jean circulated around and found himself in front of the nape. He targeted the grappling hooks on the nape, but paused as soon as he realized she was protecting her nape.

" _Jean!_ " Reiner shrieked.

" _I have to help him!_ " Janessa ran towards the scenery.

" _Janessa wait! It's dangerous!_ " Reiner called out, but it was too late.

The redhead stopped dead in her tracks and turned pale as she realized she was about to grab his wires.

 _Oh no! Once she grabs ahold of his wires, he's dead! He's a dead man! He's done for! He's gonna die!_

Janessa had already lost two of her friends, it would be devastating to see another one die in front of her. She put her hands on her hair and started to cry again. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see his death.

Before the titan could finish him off, Armin got up.

" _Jean! Don't let that suicidal maniac die in vain!_ " he shouted.

The titan stopped. Jean realized that it stopped when Armin was referring to Eren.

Janessa's eyes widened.

 _What is he doing? Why did the titan stop? Wait...I think it's a distraction...the moment he mentioned Eren, she stopped. That must be the person she's looking for!_

" _She did it! She's the one who killed him! I told him the right wing was suicide but went along anyway! And now he's dead, thanks to her!_ " Armin continued.

 _Wait a second...is he bluffing to distract her? Or is it true?_

Jean then targeted his grappling hooks on a tree and landed on the ground and started running towards Armin.

" _Leave it to me guys!_ " Janessa shouted, running up to the titan. " _I'll take care of her!_ "

She then targeted her grappling hooks and flew in the air.

" _Janessa stop! No!_ " Jean screamed. He couldn't afford to lose her after losing his friends. He tried to run after her, but it was too late.

As the perfect moment came, she raised her blades, ready to strike.

" _Eat this!_ " she yelled.

But before she could strike, the titan turned around, brought her hand up, and waved it for slap. Janessa felt her body burning in pain as she came in contact with the hand, with the grappling hooks coming off as well. The impact caused her to crash on the floor, knocked out.

" _Janessa!"_ Jean shouted again. " _Dammit! She got knocked out!_ "

The titan then walked over to her and knelt down, about to kill her. Jean started to run towards it to save his friend.

" _You'll pay for this bitch!_ " he yelled.

He was about to target his grappling hooks when he saw Reiner removing his hood, and charging right at the enemy.

" _She crushed my best friend I saw it with my own eyes!_ " Armin bluffed, continuing the distraction. " _His entrails were stuck to the bottom of her foot!_ "

Reiner leaped off his horse and targeted his grappling hooks at the nape. He went straight. Jean's eyes widened, realizing this was the perfect time to finish her off since Armin's distracting her. But Reiner stopped dead in his tracks when the titan's eyes caught him. She then raised her hand and gripped Reiner inside. Jean and Armin gasped, realizing that she's gonna kill him.

She was attempting to crush him, but he struggled. The titan then put her hand on his head, and blood spilled out of her fist. Jean backed away, realizing that she has killed him.

" _No...Reiner...oh God..._ " Jean mumbled in fear.

Suddenly, Reiner slashed his way out of this fist, covered in blood. Jean gasped, relieved and surprised he was still alive. Reiner made his way into the ground and grabbed Armin. The titan was staring at it's hand, which was evaporating.

" _I say we get out of here!_ Reiner cried out. " _Grab Janessa and let's go!_ "

Jean immediately ran to her unconscious body. He picked her up and carried her on his back.

" _She doesn't have an appetite for people like you say I'm guessing she's not gonna following us!_ " Reiner said.

The titan then stood up, and started running in a different direction again.

"All right!" Reiner said. " _Looks like she's in retreat!_ "

" _Poor thing's running home with a trail between her legs!"_ Reiner continued.

Armin, who was still weak, had a shocking realization when he realized where she was heading off to. She was going to the center rank...going for Eren.

* * *

 **I really have to push myself into finishing this story, and I may update late tomorrow because I'll be going out. I'll try to update tomorrow!**


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